Thirty-six Alabama College System community colleges were surveyed to determine whether a significant difference existed between the satisfaction and effectiveness of community college administrators, faculty members and computer professionals with manual, partially automated and fully automated administrative computer systems. The survey results were also analyzed to determine which system(s) provided the least satisfaction and effectiveness. Effectiveness and satisfaction instruments were used to elicit respondents’ opinions regarding twenty-five administrative applications approved by the Alabama Department of Education, Department of Postsecondary Education for implementation by the Alabama College System Board. Both instruments used a five-point Likert scale to assess the respondents’ opinions. One hundred forty-one responses were evaluated using the Analysis of Variance, with an alpha level of .05, to determine if there were any significant differences between the satisfaction and effectiveness of administrators, faculty members and computer professionals with manual, partially automated and fully automated administrative systems. Though all of the colleges surveyed had their administrative applications automated, colleges were defined as manual, partially automated or fully automated depending upon the number of applications that were automated. No significant satisfaction difference was found. However, administrators were found to be more effective than faculty members. Additionally, manual systems were found to be more effective than fully automated systems. A Leaf Scale analysis was conducted utilizing sample means to define the applications providing the least satisfaction and/or effectiveness. The survey found that among the 25 applications surveyed, fund raising, student receivables, general ledger, budget, cash receipts, accounts payable, recruiting, continuing education, curriculum development and work orders automation provided the least satisfaction and/or effectiveness. Based upon the findings, the writer recommended that further effectiveness and satisfaction research be conducted of community colleges to either corroborate or deny the findings.

The purpose of this study, an experimental design utilizing two experimental groups and one control group, was to determine if self-esteem intervention treatments significantly impact the self-esteem behavior levels of tenth-grade African American male subjects. Further, the study examined the relation between attendance and general self-esteem. The two instruments used in this study were the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and the Semester Attendance Log. The sample for the study consisted of fifteen subjects in Experimental Group A, fourteen subjects in Experimental Group B, and sixteen Control Group subjects. ANOVA, Scheffe, and a dependent t test were used for statistical analysis in this study. Data analysis indicated that the self-esteem behavior levels of the subjects in the treatment groups showed significant statistical gains after the treatment.

<p> Inspired by the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, which contains skills related to technology and media use for students in kindergarten to grade 12, and the International Society of Technology Education Technology Standards for Administrators the researcher chose to focus this dissertation is on principal technology leadership competencies that elementary principals will need to lead technology integration for teaching and learning in their respective schools. The researcher examined a range of sources, including research from internet-based sources and traditional (hard-copy) journals. The Principals&rsquo; Technology Leadership Assessment (PTLA) survey was used to assess principals&rsquo; technology leadership competencies of 132 principals from one school district in the District of Columbia metropolitan area. Using the PTLA survey response data, quantitative data analyses, including linear regression analyses, an analysis of variance, a t-test, and distribution frequency analyses, were conducted and used to determine how the independent variables, shared leadership style, transformational leadership style, support disposition, encouragement disposition, gender, and the socioeconomic status of the schools served by these principals, individually affect the dependent variable, principals&rsquo; technology leadership competencies for the ideal purpose of making predictions that may have an impact on future planning, monitoring, or evaluation of a process or practice within the K-12 educational system. Findings provide evidence that the transformational leadership style serve as a powerful predictor of technology leadership competencies for elementary principals. Keywords: technology leadership competencies, leadership styles, dispositions, gender, and socioeconomic status</p>

Integrity within employees is on the forefront as a person with integrity is one that is honest and trustworthy. In contrast is an employee with low integrity that could be associated with acts of fraud, corruption and theft. The purpose of this report is to address the proposition that higher integrity levels within employees will lead to lower financial stock losses. In addition the integrity levels of all employees were measured to see whether the integrity level of permanent employees were higher than those of temporary employees. Strategies were implemented in order to develop the integrity level of Clover Nelspruit’s employees. The strategies included addressing the situational factors desirability, group norms and risk together with focusing on communication regarding integrity. The monthly averaged stock loss for the period June to September 05 was considerably lower than the previous eleven months which led to the confirmation that improving a person’s integrity can be positively associated with lower financial losses caused by internal theft. In considering only the employees who passed the lie factor in the measurement instrument the results were also in agreement with the theory that temporary workers might be more likely to engage in counterproductive behaviour than those employed as permanent workers.

<p> This dissertation investigates the lived leadership experience of superintendents of American schools in Brazil. For this purpose, a phenomenological research methodology was utilized. Eight purposefully selected superintendents of American schools in Brazil comprised the sample. Data were collected via audio recordings of two in-depth interviews with each participant and notes taken during interviews. Audio recordings were transcribed, and transcribed data were analyzed. Analysis of the data resulted in the identification of mission advocacy, community-building, communication, and environmental awareness as essential skills for superintendents of American schools in Brazil. Findings suggest that being the superintendent of an American school in Brazil is challenging and complex and that language, culture, and collegial support are key factors in the lived experience of these superintendents. Recommendations for practice and for future research are provided.</p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the role of the rural school district superintendent as instructional leader. Specifically, the study focused on rural superintendents who were known as effective instructional leaders and explored their understandings of and motivations for their instructional leadership work, how they fulfilled this work, and how this work was affected by recent federal and state policy initiatives. The study addressed these questions: (a) what are rural school district superintendents&rsquo; understandings of their role and responsibilities as instructional leader?; (b) what are rural school district superintendents&rsquo; perspectives on the various facets of instructional leadership?; (c) what do rural school district superintendents actually do to fulfill their roles as instructional leaders?; (d) what are rural school district superintendents&rsquo; perspectives on their preparation for instructional leadership and their need for continuous professional development?; and (e) how has recent federal and state legislation affected the work of the rural school superintendent as instructional leader? Data were collected through open-ended, phenomenologically oriented interviews with four rural school district superintendents in northeast Washington State. Analysis of the qualitative data resulted in the unearthing of seven major themes: (a) setting direction, (b) supporting the instructional growth of the district, (c) the superintendents&rsquo; direct involvement with the classroom, (d) acquiring resources for the instructional program, (e) the superintendents&rsquo; work developing principal instructional leadership, (f) the self-development of the district instructional leader, and (g) challenges faced by rural school district instructional leaders. Each theme also discussed the impact of the rural district context on that theme. Four conclusions were drawn from the study: (a) rural school district superintendents communicate a focus on improved teaching and learning by being heavily engaged in the classrooms observing teaching; (b) rural school district superintendents engage with other rural districts to provide aligned and collaborative professional development; (c) superintendents rely heavily on one another to lead instructionally; and (d) the remote context provides rural school district superintendents with additional and unique challenges to instructional leadership. My hope is that this study will inform effective rural superintendent instructional leadership and lead to discussions regarding policy and research to support superintendents facing rural contextual leadership challenges.</p>

This study examines the integration of technology into teaching and learning mathematics for nontraditional adult-learners, in a public 2-year technical college environment. The study was based on comparing the impact on student outcomes of three teaching methodologies: traditional face-to-face, internet based on-line, and a new composite methodology combining the components of face-to-face and on-line called web-enhanced. The researcher found no significant difference on the impact of student achievement. However, a positive impact on attrition and persistence was observed. The conclusion drawn from these findings support implementing web-enhanced methodologies in educational institutions with a majority non-traditional student population.

This study examines students' perceptions in relationship to School-to-Work initiatives in a major metropolitan Atlanta school district. This study was based on the premise that education works best and is most useful for future careers when students apply what they learn to real life, real work situations. The researcher found that students who participate in School-to-Work initiatives appear to show an improvement in their persistence in school, show an improvement in the first time passing of the Georgia High School graduation Test in math and English; however, students show minimal to no improvement in academic achievement. The conclusions drawn from the findings suggest that proponents for School-to-Work initiatives must continue to lobby support for the program. At all levels, advocates must engage in discourse and further study to ensure program continuity.

The purpose of this research was to determine if parental selection criteria identified in the research literature were confirmed in a large metropolitan public school system that has a choice program. Further, the study investigated the relationships between demographic and institutional factors and choice of schools. The sample of the study consisted of 278 parents enrolling their children in a magnet school program for the first time during the 1993-94 school year. The population for the study consisted of Atlanta parents. Correlational statistical analyses of the data were conducted to determine relationships between the variables and choice of schools. Of the thirteen factors analyzed in the study, only four were significantly related to parents' choice: school size, magnet theme, reputation of staff, and friends' opinions. Using stepwise multiple regression analysis, choice was treated as the dependent variable. School student body size (GSIZE), the independent variable, entered the regression equation on Step 1. Theme and emphasis of the magnet school program (ATHEME), the independent variable, entered the regression equation on Step 2. Reputation of staff (DREPUTE), the independent variable, entered the regression equation on Step 3.

No description available.