This qualitative study explored the expectations and perceptions elementary teachers have of school counselors. Participants were current or past students in an elementary education graduate program at a southeastern university. The participants responded to an open-ended online survey that consisted of questions that focused on the demographics of their schools and the expectations and perceptions they had of the school counselor’s roles and responsibilities pertaining to both academic achievement and student behavior. Although responses varied, the data suggests that there was substantial concern regarding the time and availability of the school counselor, implications of the use of counselors as school standardized testing administrators, and respondents’ desires for school counselors to focus on the severe emotional and behavioral needs of students.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the literacy coach's tasks and qualities teachers valued the most and which qualities they valued the least. Knowing those precepts might help one to become a more efficient and valuable resource for both classroom teachers and principals. School visits, focus group interviews, individual interviews, interviews with each principal, and documents from the 3 southwest Virginia schools in 2 districts provided the data for analysis. Teachers' and principals' perspectives of literacy coaching explained both the desirable and undesirable practices and techniques. The 3 schools had been swept into a change process when they received Virginia Reading First funding. They were required to use only scientifically based reading researched programs and strategies. Teachers were required to use new programs, change their instructional practices, use data to drive instruction, restructure their schedules, and rearrange their classrooms. They were required to participate in more staff development and training opportunities. They learned to look at student data and use them to drive their instruction to meet the specific needs of certain students. They learned to use data to assess their own professional strengths and weaknesses and then take action to improve it. The need for change and an effective change agent emerged as teachers needed to match their skills to the increased demands. Research data inspired the recommendations for becoming an effective literacy coach.

This study was designed for the purpose of quantitatively examining the significant elements of reform-based professional development and their relationship to teachers’ self-efficacies for inclusion. The theoretical frameworks for this study were drawn from Bandura’s (1997) self-efficacy and social cognitive theory in addition to pre-existing research pertaining to professional development and teacher efficacy for inclusion. A web based survey was developed and made available for voluntary participation to a total population of 385 elementary school teachers in one East Tennessee school district. Data were collected from 79 elementary school teachers in 14 of the district’s elementary schools. Findings included no significant statistical correlation between teacher self-efficacy for inclusion scores and the amount of professional development completed during the current school year. Respondents did report a perception that inclusion was not significantly emphasized during professional development activities. Self-efficacy for inclusion scores of teachers with 11+ years of overall teaching experience were found to be significantly higher than teachers with 1-10 years of overall teaching experience. Additionally, there was no significant difference between self-efficacy scores of teachers who were required to take 1 or 2 special education courses for initial certification and 3 teachers who were required to take more than 2 special education courses for initial certification.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of social communication networks and to determine the levels of job satisfaction of public elementary school principals in Northeast Tennessee. Relationships between social communication network characteristics and job satisfaction were described. Information from the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ) and the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) was used to identify characteristics of social networks and levels of job satisfaction. Data was used to investigate relationships between social network characteristics and job satisfaction scores. Data gathered included principals' gender, age, school size, years of experience, education level, ethnicity, community setting, marital status, tenure as a principal, social network size, network composition, and levels of job satisfaction in the areas of present job, present pay, opportunity for promotion, supervision, people on the job, and the job in general. Fifty male and thirty-two female public elementary school principals were surveyed using the SSQ and the JDI. Average network size was reported as fifteen. Most network members were female, with male principals reporting slightly larger networks than female principals. Conclusions emphasize small network sizes composed primarily of family members. All respondents were married and reported themselves and their network members as Caucasian. Moderate to high levels of job satisfaction were reported among principals. Highest job satisfaction was reported in the areas of people on the job and the job in general. Lowest scores on the JDI were reported in the areas of opportunity for promotion and present pay. Relationships between social communication network characteristics and job satisfaction are reported as insignificant.

The perceptions of elementary teachers with regard to the leadership behavior exhibited by their principals and to the organizational climate of their schools were examined in this study. The purpose of the study was to determine whether Tennessee elementary principals who achieved Career Ladder III standing exhibited more effective leadership behaviors and maintained a more suitable organizational climates than Career Ladder I principals. This study followed the ex-post facto research approach and utilized data obtained through use of the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire Form 12 (LBDQ-12) and the Revised Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire (OCDQ-RE). Responses were obtained from 590 teachers who represented 26 randomly selected elementary schools in northeast Tennessee, 11 of which were administered by Career Ladder III principals and 16 administered by Career Ladder I principals. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was applied to the data to determine significance at the.05 level. ANOVA was selected because it permitted the researcher to evaluate the mean differences in perceived leadership behavior and organizational climate simultaneously while maintaining the Type I error rate at the preestablished.05 significance level for the entire set of comparisons. No significant differences were found in total leader behavior or in any dimension of leader behavior, as measured by the LBDQ-12, for Career Ladder III elementary principals when compared to Career Ladder I elementary principals. No significant differences were found in any dimension of organizational climate, as measured by the OCDQ-RE, for elementary schools administered by Career Ladder III principals when compared to elementary schools administered by Career Ladder I principals. Recommendations for future research were given.

The purpose of this study was to determine if Career Ladder I, Career Ladder II, and Career Ladder III Tennessee Elementary Principals perceived differently their role as instructional leaders. The amount of time principals spent in six identified dimensions of instructional leadership was examined. The study examined selected independent variables, such as, grade level configuration of the school, years of experience as a principal, number of years of classroom experience, and gender for any effect on the Career Ladder I, Career Ladder II, and Career Ladder III elementary principals' perceptions of their instructional leadership role. The research design included three research questions with 16 null hypotheses testing for differences among Career Ladder I, Career Ladder II, and Career Ladder III elementary principals' perceptions of their instructional leadership role. Data were obtained using the Instructional Leadership Survey of Elementary School Principals, a 48-item instrument, administered to 125 elementary principals in the First Tennessee Development District. Both Career Ladder I and Career Ladder III elementary principals indicated significantly greater importance than Career Ladder II elementary principals in their perceptions of their instructional leadership role in the instructional leadership dimensions of observing teachers and classrooms, evaluating and supervising teachers, instructional problem-solving, and planning and developing instructional programs. Female principals indicated greater importance than did male principals in their perceptions of their instructional leadership role in all six identified dimensions of instructional leadership.

This study sought to answer research questions designed to determine principals' perceptions of the effect of year-round education (YRE) on students, teachers, and parents. These perceptions were then used to determine if YRE is fulfilling the recommendations of the National Commission on Excellence in Education and Goals 2000. There were 27 null hypotheses used to answer eight research questions that guided the study. Analysis of the data revealed that year-round principals perceive YRE as having a significantly positive impact on 25 variables in areas relating to educational opportunities/content, standards and expectations, time/flexibility and operational costs, teaching, and school/parent relations. Analysis of data also revealed principals' initial involvement in a year-round program showed a significant difference in eight of the 25 variables. The null hypothesis used to answer research question 8, does the organizational design of a multiple-track versus single-track plan have an effect on the perceptions of year-round school principals, was not rejected. Based on statistical analysis of the data collected of principals' perceptions, YRE is effective in fulfilling the Commission's recommendations and Goals 2000 for more rigorous and measurable standards with higher expectations for academic performance; improving student competency; preparing all children to come to school ready to learn; strengthening graduation requirements; increasing graduation rates; using school time more effectively; improving teacher preparation and salaries; providing drug-free, violence free schools; and increase parental involvement in schools.

The researcher examined nine areas of support that can be of assistance to sustaining innovative methodology in four school systems in Upper East Tennessee. Five types of innovation were examined. This study looked at nine supports as well as years of involvement by the practicing educator. The research design was a comparative study with forty hypotheses used to test differences in perceived degree of assistance to commitment. Teachers were surveyed and asked to rate supports for sustained innovation. Teachers also rated actual and ideal involvement. The research questions were tested and statistically analyzed using t-test and analysis of variance. Significant differences were found between demographic groups. Teachers sustaining child-centered instruction rated seven of the nine areas of support significantly higher than peer teachers. The methodology of student assessment had five areas of support rated significantly higher, alternative scheduling had two areas of support rated significantly higher, and the thematic approach had one area. Training/conference/workshops was the only area of support that had a significant difference common to all four of these methodologies. Recommendations for further research were made to augment the study.

This study describes two heterogeneously grouped second-grade classrooms during the 1998-99 school year. One class featured collaborative team teaching, and the second class was taught by a traditional single teacher. There were 33 regular education students and nine at-risk students in the team classroom and 14 regular education students and eight at-risk students in the one-teacher classroom. One hundred three interviews were conducted with 21 students in the team classroom and 18 students in the one-teacher classroom, with 13 parents, with three teachers, and with the school principal. The researcher observed the two classes 61 times from September to May. Data were organized according to the respondents' perspectives and the observation entries on four themes: classroom social climate; instruction and its effects, including provisions for small-group and individual assistance; distribution of teachers' roles and tasks; and information on the practice of teaming. Regular education and at-risk students in both classes reported that school was a highly positive experience, that their teachers provided motivating instruction; and the social climate was one of group cohesion and help from everyone. Parents confirmed the students' perceptions. Teachers reported that they felt confident meeting the needs of nearly all students in both classroom settings. The school principal agreed with the teachers but believed that it was easier for the team-teaching pair to meet their goals. The researchers' field notes supported the interview data. Results were interpreted by defining the general themes that emanated from the data and by delineating guidelines for effective teaming and elaborating on problems to be avoided in collaborative team-teaching partnerships. In the classrooms included in this study. Collaborative team teaching appears to offer an important alternative to traditional single-teacher models for both regular education and at-risk students.

I report how methods course assignments shifted from simulation to actual participation in remediation, assessment, and co-teaching in a K- 6 methods course in a state where policies dictate a residency model in place of traditional courses followed by student teaching