<p> When signed into law in 2001, the <i>No Child Left Behind</i> (NCLB) legislation ushered in broad policy affecting the federal government's engagement with local governments on education oversight and monitoring. One provision of NCLB offered parents added control over their child's education and gave them the right to leave their Title I school&mdash;when the school received the label "in need of improvement"&mdash;for another school within the district. </p><p> This study focused specifically on NCLB school choice and examined parents' decisions to opt for or against school choice. More specifically, this inquiry explored the factors that motivated parents to opt for school choice and the benefits that parents hoped to gain for themselves and their children by either staying in their home school or opting for a school of choice. </p><p> Three research questions guided this study and helped the researcher to examine parental perceptions through a social capital lens: 1. What were the characteristics of the parents who opted for NCLB school choice compared with the parents who opted to remain in their home school? 2. From the parents' perspective, what factors led to parents' decisions about selecting their home school or selecting school choice? 3. What characteristics of the school that parents choose to attend made the school a better choice for their child? </p><p> The researcher utilized a mixed methods methodology to facilitate the collection of data that included the distinct voices of the parents who accessed NCLB school choice. The use of both surveys and interviews helped the researcher to gain a better understanding of the parents' thought processes as they made their choices. </p><p> Major findings from the research indicated that parents who chose to use their school choice option focused on the students' learning environment when making their decision. Parents who decided to stay in their home school focused more on their children's well-being and their own connections to the school staff. Additionally, findings indicated that parents who opted for school choice tended to have higher incomes and were better educated. Hispanic parents were more inclined to stay in their home school, while White parents were more likely to move out of their home school. </p><p> This study provides information that policy makers should consider as they examine the option of choice for educational settings and seek to ensure that choice does not detrimentally affect students in a wide variety of school environments.</p>

<p> This quantitative correlation research study sought to understand which perceived style of principal leadership had the most significant positive effect on the progress of students who attended schools in Indiana that made Exemplary Progress annually. The MLQ-5X leader form was used to measure the independent variables: the principals' self-perceptions of their respective leadership behaviors. The MLQ-5X rater form provided triangulation data by measuring the teachers' perceptions of the principals' leadership behaviors. The dependent variable was based on the English/Language Arts and Math results of the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress Plus (ISTEP+) assessments for grades 3-5 from 2009-2012. In addition, the study sought to explore any correlations that existed between academic achievement and any of the five transformational leadership components: idealized influence (attributed and behavior), inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. The research design controlled some demographic variables such as years of experience and geographic location of the school (urban, rural, or suburban). An empirical link existed between transformational leadership and Exemplary Progress. There was a moderate significant correlation between transformational leadership and intellectual stimulation. There was a strong significant causal relationship between transformational leadership and perceived effectiveness.</p>

This is a descriptive study designed to determine the aspects of retrenchment within the Colleges of Education in the nine public universities of Florida. The analysis was based on reports made by the universities to the Board of Regents and on the responses to a written questionnaire from the Deans and Chairpersons of the Colleges of Education concerning their perception of retrenchment and retrenchment policies. Whereas formal written policy for coping with retrenchment did not exist at any level in the State University System, informal practices were evident in the decision-making structure according to the findings. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-03, Section: A, page: 0873. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

One of the most significant and pervasive trends in American society has been the steady consolidation of institutions. This trend has resulted in an increase in the institutions organizational size. The high schools of Florida and the nation have reflected this trend toward bigness displaying a dramatic increase in average enrollment between 1965 and 1970. The physical nature of the high school, relative to size, has changed. Has the role of the principal and the competencies required by the nature of the job changed as the size of the school changed? / This study employed an instrument which required respondents to rate seventy competencies in a real and ideal situation, and for large (enrollment of 1,500 or more students) and small (enrollment of 750 or fewer students) high schools. The analysis of the data revealed a high degree of agreement among all responding groups (principals, teachers, superintendents, and school board members) relative to the competencies necessary to successfully perform the functions and complete the tasks associated with the high school principalship in a large or small high school. / Generally those competencies related to human relations were considered to be more important than those related to organizational management. In addition, all respondent groups ideally placed great emphasis upon those competencies related to the instructional process while in the real situation they acknowledged that these competencies did not always receive the attention of the principal they deserve. The single most important concern registered by all respondent groups was pupil control. Maintaining order, providing discipline and minimizing disruptions were considered the highest priority. Considered least important were competencies related to research and development projects, student activities, and auxiliary services. The respondents did not see the public schools as testing laboratories for new experimental educational theories, programs or materials. They also viewed the management of the student activities program and services such as food and transportation as supportive and not central to the successful operation of the high school as a place of learning. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-06, Section: A, page: 2423. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

This study investigated reading achievement, student attitude, and program cost-benefits and cost-effectiveness of Title I reading programs at two schools with comparable predicted reading achievement scores. School A utilized district adopted supplementary programmed learning materials (Hoffman Language Arts Reading Program) and was staffed by a reading teacher and two paid aides. School B used a similar supplementary reading approach (Ginn Reading 720 Tutorial Program) that utilized programmed materials and was staffed by one teacher, one paid aide, and three trained volunteer tutors. Subjects included all first and second grade Title I reading students at the two target schools. / Analysis of pretest/posttest reading achievement scores, obtained by administration of the California Achievement Test, Form C, indicated no significant differences (at the .05 level) in reading achievement between first grade students or second grade students in the two programs. / Two attitude scales (Title I Attitude Survey and Guice Attitudinal Scale) were administered to students. Guice survey results indicated no significant difference in attitudes between first grade groups; second grade scores indicated significant differences in attitude toward teacher (.05 (alpha) level) and school (.001 (alpha) level) in favor of School B (Ginn). Combined mean attitude scores were also significant (.01 (alpha) level) in favor of School B (Ginn). A significant difference (.05 (alpha) level) in Title I survey of first grade students at School A and School B favored School B. / School A program implementation costs (Hoffman) exceeded those of School B (Ginn). NPV (10 and 15% discount rates) calculated from a 5-year projected cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis, showed School B's reading program to be more favorable economically than that of School A when only material costs were included and when volunteer service was treated as a quantitative benefit. When volunteer service was treated as a cost, School A's program showed greater economic benefits. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-10, Section: A, page: 4215. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

This study examines the relationship of the Florida public school cash management systems: district variables, school board variables, investment techniques, and investment officer characteristics to interest revenue and rate of return on investment of idle funds. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data from district finance officers. The cash management variables were analyzed using step-wise multiple regression. / The findings indicate district variables contribute 77% of the change in interest revenue and 7% in rate of return. The contribution by individual system is: district, 7%; school board, 26%; investment technique, 47%; and investment officer characteristics, 8%. The individual variables contribution are: flowcharting, 28%; investment of net payroll, 14%; presence of a written investment plan, 7%; bidding of depository, 3%; school board involvement in banking, 8%; minimum amount invested, 5%; and, weekly investment planning period, 5%. / The results indicate major weaknesses in planning and in the amount of political influence on the program. / The recommendations are that the state require the investment of idle cash, that the state develop a cash investment information systems, and that the state auditor criteria be required to be based upon investment rates provided by state investment information systems. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-10, Section: A, page: 4244. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

This study investigated the relationship between the leadership styles of the instructional supervisors, the maturity level of the instructional staff, and the level of goals setting and integration, and the extent to which these variables are additives to the styles of the supervisors in the bilingual program of Orange County, Florida. / The Hersey and Blanchard's Leadership Effectiveness and Adaptability (LEAD-Self/Lead-Other) instruments, the maturity level questionnaire, and the goals questionnaires developed by the researcher were used to collect data from 14 supervisors and 36 teachers. The use of frequency distributions, simple correlations, and a multiple regression analysis at the .05 level of significance answered the research questions. / A low negative correlation between the self-perceived leadership styles of the instructional supervisors and the actual leadership styles was found. Leadership styles and maturity level held a low positive correlation. The level of goals held by the instructional staff was consistently higher than the goals of the supervisors; for the most part, both sets of data revealed a range of moderately high to high levels of goals and a significant level at r = .01 was found in relation to upgrading the design of the program to meet the needs of the staff and the goals of bilingual education. Further comparisons showed that high perceptions of goals related to teachers' needs and improving the in-service program were related to high level of maturity. A high positive correlation was found between maturity and goals for in-service education. / A regression analysis was utilized to determine which of the variables measured were additives to the leadership styles of the instructional supervisor. A significance level at the .01 level was found between the leadership styles and the goals held by the instructional staff. / This study recommended that further research be conducted with the utilization of a larger sample and in an experimental situation in which the leadership behavior of the instructional supervisor may be observed, in order to diagnose the effects of these behaviors on the instructional staff, and to further assess specific needs to promote changes in bilingual programs. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-03, Section: A, page: 0615. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

A profile of a selected successful and effective Florida middle school principal was developed from qualitative data generated from an anthropological fieldwork methodology in order to determine the relationships between the environment perceived by the principal and his actions in critical task areas. Luthans's contingency approach was used to explain the principal's organization and management behavior. Ethnography was employed to identify the individuals, groups, and other forces the principal perceived to facilitate or inhibit achievement of his goals and to identify subsequent leadership and management activities he employed to take advantage of or cope with these perceptions. Differences were found between normative administrative behavior prescribed in the related literature and the selected principal's actual behavior. The principal was found to behave as a subordinate and subservient bureaucrat, a public relations agent, and a humanistic and benevolent father. Recommendations were made that the study be replicated and also duplicated to further investigate these three roles. Underscored was the need to understand the behavior of school administrators in the context of their social networks and the general phenomenon known as social entrepreneurship. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-03, Section: A, page: 0615. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a preimplementation process on attitudes of teachers and administrators toward the legislatively mandated Florida Primary Education Program. The preimplementation process was a staff development procedure selected for changing attitudes. It included three district-wide one-day workshops and primary resource teachers employed at each school site to aid in the preimplementation process through personal support and assistance. The population included all kindergarten teachers, second grade teachers, and elementary school principals in the selected school district required to implement the mandated education program. The Stages of Concern Questionnaire (Hall, 1979) was used in a pretest, treatment, posttest research design. The questionnaire was developed to measure participant concern and was based on an hierarchy of stages of concern which included awareness, information, personal, management, consequence, collaboration, and refocusing concerns. Of the 279 participants, 192 answered both pretest and posttest questionnaires. The resultant data were examined using the t-test for correlated means to determine significant differences in intensity of the stages of concern over time, and the t-test for uncorrelated data to determine significant differences between the three groups (.05 level of significance). / Participants changed significantly in the intensity of their stages of concern over time, moving from the lower stages of awareness, information, and personal concerns to higher stages of management and refocusing concerns. Second grade teachers showed the most significant degree of change. Individual rates of change in stages of concern varied dependent on their entering stage, with those entering at lower levels moving more rapidly than those entering at higher levels of concern. / Results of the study indicated that the selected school district should now provide staff development programs based on the management and refocusing stages of concern. It was recommended that the preimplementation process be used with future legislatively mandated education programs, and that the process should include major provision for identifying targeted interventions to resolve concerns through extensive staff development, personal support personnel in each school, and adequate time for a preimplementation process to occur. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-12, Section: A, page: 4991. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

The purpose of this study was to determine the appropriateness of using a nondirective interview technique in verifying and/or clarifying inservice training needs of principals. The problem addressed was whether or not the use of the nondirective interview technique would, in conjunction with an administrative assessment form, provide for the personal involvement of the principal in a more precise identification of needs. The study also sought to determine whether the interview process would provide collaboration between the researcher and the principal in self-exploration and problem solving, as related to the principals' identification of needs and alternatives to resolve those needs. / Twenty principals from four Northwest Florida Counties completed a self-assessment form which included competencies associated with the managerial functions of planning, organizing, coordinating, communicating and stimulating. Following the principals' completion of the assessment form, the research conducted a nondirective interview with each principal. The phases and techniques employed during the nondirective interview were those associated with Joyce and Weil's nondirective teaching model, which was based on Rogers' client-centered therapy. / Inservice training needs were identified on the basis of the principals' responses to the administrative assessment form. These were verified, clarified and expanded during the interview as a result of the collaboration between the researcher and principal. / The following conclusions resulted from the study: (1) Principals evidence limited understanding, experience and/or training in specific competencies associated with the managerial functions of planning, organizing, coordinating, communicating and stimulating. (2) A definite discrepancy exists between the principals' level of knowledge and training with respect to the administrative process and that reported in the literature as being necessary to function effectively. (3) The use of a nondirective interview technique facilitates the confirmation, clarification and expansion of needs identified through the use of a traditional needs assessment questionnaire. (4) The nondirective interview technique promotes collaboration between the researcher and the principal in self-exploration and problem solving as related to the principal's identification of needs and alternatives to resolve those needs. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-02, Section: A, page: 0320. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.