Thesis (Ed.D.)--Indiana University, School of Education, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Feb. 10, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: . Adviser: Khaula Murtadha.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Educational Leadership, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Feb. 10, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: . Adviser: Robert K. Toutkoushian.

Thesis (ED. D.)--University OF MICHIGAN.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University OF MICHIGAN.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University OF MICHIGAN.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University OF MICHIGAN.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of elementary, middle, and high school teachers as they relate to the leadership behaviors principals should exhibit that would assist teachers in becoming more effective. The Principal Behavior Questionnaire (PBQ) (McLean, 1998) was distributed to randomly selected classroom teachers in three Southern Arizona K--12 school districts in Fall 2001. Similar attribute behaviors were grouped together under four themes: functional, programmatic, interpersonal, and contextual. The data were disaggregated using elementary, middle, and high school teachers as the independent variables. The following conclusions were based on the findings of this study. (1) Elementary, middle, and high school teachers found the 21 domains and four general theme areas identified by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (1993) to be important. (2) Analysis of the data indicated a strong similarity among the rankings of leadership behavior domains of principals of elementary, middle, and high school teachers. (3) Elementary teachers ranked the domain of providing student guidance and development significantly more important than did high school teachers and the domain of influencing policy and politics significantly less important than did middle and high school teachers. (4) Elementary teachers ranked the theme of contextual leadership significantly less important than high school teachers. Researchers have linked principal behaviors to effects on school climates, which in turn have been shown to indirectly affect student achievement (Bredeson, 1989; Halpin & Croft, 1963). Leithwood (1994) linked principals' transformational leadership to measures of improvement in teachers' classroom behaviors, attitudes, and effectiveness (i.e., student achievement). The findings of this study should be utilized to assist principals to ensure that they demonstrate the leadership behaviors perceived necessary by classroom teachers. Doing so will assist teachers in becoming more effective classroom teachers.

The No Child Left Behind Act poses new challenges in education as all states are required to develop valid and reliable accountability systems for determining whether schools make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) toward improving academic achievement, which will be determined through the use of standards-based assessments. New federal policy requirements and short time lines have forced states to become creative in developing methods for determining AYP in order to comply with the new requirements. Currently, most states do not have the necessary assessment instruments or the data that are needed to conduct empirical studies to justify the uses and consequences that are associated with the state accountability results. The lack of necessary data and empirical studies has created concerns for the possibilities of misuses and consequences that may later be attributed to misinterpretations and limitations in current state accountability systems. The study is an evaluation of the interpretations, uses, and consequences that exist as a result of Arizona's educational accountability system. The school achievement profiles were determined through the use of results obtained from the Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards assessments. The school achievement profile results were also used to justify consequences for schools and options for parents. A mixed within subjects factorial design is used to analyze the relationship between the AIMS performance levels and the levels of school achievement. Reading, writing, and mathematics are the three content areas analyzed.

This study investigated how the tacit knowledge of novice and expert principals was demonstrated in problem-solving situations. Participant profiles were developed and contrasted using the transformational leadership dimensions identified by Leithwood (Leithwood and Steinbach, 1993, 1995). A phenomenological approach was selected as the primary theoretical perspective. The qualitative methodology employed the protocol developed by Nestor-Baker (2002), along with a comparative method of interpreting the data (Patton, 2002). Three expert and three novice principals were each interviewed twice to determine how they used their tacit knowledge within self-identified, problem-solving incidents. Results were analyzed by horizonalizing the data and identifying those portions of the interview that formed the essence, or the invariant constituents of the experience (Moustakas, 1994, p. 121). The invariant constituents were clustered into leadership dimensions and individual textural-structural descriptions were generated for the participants. Experts possessed a greater accumulation of tacit knowledge than did novices. Experts tended to maintain a calmer approach, to see long-term ramifications immediately, and to have a better sense of timing for problem-solving. Experts demonstrated greater if-then thinking, had a better understanding of interpersonal relationships, employed Model II (Arygris and Schon, 1974) thinking, and used context more effectively than did novices. Experts used tacit knowledge more inclusively in contexts that required an understanding of the effects of social class than did novices. Novices used Model I thinking, tended to become emotionally affected by problems, delayed problem-solving, and experienced a disconnect between intellectually reflecting upon problems and reaching appropriate, timely, solutions. The identification of leadership dimensions by participants was found to be inconsistent. Expert secondary principals tended to think and act upon identifying and articulating a vision and fostering group goals. The secondary novice principal focused most upon providing individual support. The elementary school expert principal emphasized identifying and articulating a vision and providing individual support. The elementary novice principals focused most upon fostering the acceptance of group goals. The researcher concluded that experience alone does not signify expertise. The accumulation of tacit knowledge, along with experience, results in expert school principal leadership.

This study sought to examine the degree of congruence between the perceptions of principals and superintendents regarding critical skills needed by beginning principals. It was designed to replicate a study performed by Schmieder, McGrevin, and Townley in California in 1994. Schmieder et al. used Daresh and Playko's taxonomy of critical skills for novice principals and rank ordered them. This study differed from Schmieder et al.'s in that the critical skills were organized into three categories, which were used to determine whether principals and superintendents agreed on the skills that were important. Factors such as gender, ethnicity, and school district size were also examined, and two ancillary questions were investigated. These ancillary questions addressed critical skills that would match more precisely with the actual needs of the position which might be incorporated into pre-service preparation for principals and determined whether there was agreement among superintendents regarding the greatest challenges for beginning principals. This study utilized two theoretical frameworks to view the issue of principal effectiveness. The first was a taxonomy of skills necessary for effective management of people. Three categories of skills that superintendents believed to be critical for new principals were identified: technical skills, self-awareness, and socialization skills. The second theoretical framework was socialization. Six operational null hypotheses were tested by analysis of variance and correlation statistical techniques. Four hypotheses were accepted. Two ancillary questions were also investigated through the use of open-ended questions. The findings for the ancillary questions indicated that both principals and superintendents felt that courses should be taught by instructors familiar with the day-to-day operations of public schools. Further, they believed instructors should connect the theoretical base with a practical perspective and that internships as well as mentoring programs should be addressed in the training of pre-service administrators.