This thesis examined the relationship between special education administrator role priorities and level of funding received by school districts in British Columbia. Data were obtained from the Ministry of Education on the number of students in special education categories claimed for funding. These data demonstrated an extreme variability in the proportions of students claimed for funding by the various school districts. In an attempt to examine this variability and suggest some possible explanations for it, this study was undertaken. One possible variable that might influence the number of students claimed for funding was examined: special education administrator role priorities. Special education administrators were asked to priorise the three roles of administrative behaviour as identified by Cuban. These role priorities were then related to the level of funding received by the district. Evidence was found to indicate that there may be a systematic relationship between the role priorities of special education administrators working in districts with low levels of funding and the level of funding received by the district. In addition, evidence was found to suggest that the priority assigned to the instructional role may differentiate between administrators working in low funded districts as compared with those working in high funded districts. The implications from the findings of the study suggest that: the framework of administrator role priorities developed by Cuban may be appropriate to describe the variability of special education administrator behaviour; the existence of the relationship between the priority assigned to the instructional role and district funding level has practical significance for the structuring of special education funding mechanisms and for the day to day work of the special education administrator. In addition, the study has implications for future research regarding the uniqueness of the instructional role and the relationship between the role priorities of special education administrators and district outcomes other than funding level. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

Very few articles in the published research literature have considered the clinical supervision of school psychology and even fewer articles explore the administrative supervision of school psychologists. The purpose of this study is to describe the roles, and responsibilities, and challenges faced by district leaders who supervise school psychologists. Using a purposeful sample, participants met criteria for this study if they worked at the district level, supervised at least three school psychologists, and were responsible for hiring and firing school psychologists. Nineteen participants qualified for this study and completed a phone interview that included eight open-ended questions. Participants shared that they primarily had managerial and leadership roles during their busy and unpredictable work weeks. Participants also reported challenges directly and indirectly related to the national shortage of school psychologists, difficulties with large workloads, the need to advocate for the field of school psychology, and a lack of professional guidance and training in their role. Implications for practice include developing a professional organization or community of practice for administrative supervisors, establishing best practice guidelines, and providing a defined role for these leaders. By coming to know the roles and challenges that district administrators are facing, the field of school psychology can find ways to support administrative supervision endeavors.

Data were collected from 388 administrators from ten urban and suburban school districts in Oregon and Washington to identify the work values of public school administrators, (as measured by the Ohio Work Values Inventory, OWVI), and determine the relationship between public school administrator role perceptions associated with burnout, (as measured by the Administrator Role Perception Inventory, ARPI), and their work values. The data were analyzed by levels of administration, background data and specific scales on the instruments. Cluster sampling by district was used; i.e. all administrators within each of ten school districts in Oregon and Washington comprised the initial sample of 701 administrators. The independent variables of the study were level of administration and the biographical descriptors of sex, age, education, administrative work experience and years of administrative experience at the same job and at the same location. The dependent variables were the seven constructs of the ARPI and the eleven constructs of the OWVI. The results indicated only moderate burnout in administrators in the sample and no statistically significant differences in the burnout among different levels of administration, although respondents reported moderate to considerable job stress. There were no significant differences in the burnout of male and female administrators and in nine of the 11 work values measured. Women administrators assigned statistically significantly more importance to the work values of Self-realization and Ideas/Data. In total, there were 35 statistically significant correlations between the OWVI scales and the ARPI subscales and the Total ARPI scale, indicating there are statistically significant relationships between administrator work values and role perceptions associated with burnout. Statistically significant differences were found between three work values of central office administrators and elementary school administrators, with central office administrators assigning statistically significantly more importance to the work values of Independence and Prestige and less importance to Altruism than did elementary school administrators and statistically significantly more importance to Independence than building administrators. Respondents assigned the greatest importance to the work value of Task Satisfaction and the least importance to Solitude. Administrators assigned considerable importance to the work values of Altruism, Independence and Ideas/Data Orientation.

The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive and descriptive study of the Oregon Mentorship Program. The study examined literature on adult mentorship programs particularly related to education and educational administration, and gathered mentor and protege perceptions on the personal and professional usefulness of program activities and characteristics. The analysis of the data may provide guidance for future formal mentorship programs designed to prepare better beginning administrators in the field of education. Data were gathered utilizing a questionnaire. All participants in the program (77 mentors and 79 proteges) were surveyed with an instrument designed around the follow-up study model. Statistical analyses of the data were based upon 55 mentor and 57 protege respondents. Chi square, mean, t-test, and Kendall's coefficient of concordance were used to determine significant differences among mentors and proteges. Two qualitative methodologies of analysis, phenomenology and development of a category system for analysis which seeks convergence and divergence were also applied to the responses. Major findings of this study were grouped as perceptions, structure, logistics, participant relationships, and demographic. Mentors and proteges had few differences in the way they perceived the mentorship program. Mentors and proteges did not agree on the significance of same/different gender mentor/protege pairings. Age differential between mentors and proteges was also not found to be a significant factor. Structurally, proteges more than mentors felt that directives and guidelines were unsatisfactory. Proteges did not agree that satisfactory year-long goals were established. Logistically, proteges were more likely to come to mentors than mentors to proteges. No significant differences existed in any of the items concerning the participant relationship category: mentors and proteges responded in similar ways to each of the questions. The study recommended future actions to enhance the Oregon Mentorship Program and made recommendations for further research into formal mentorship programs.

The main purpose of this study was to develop a demographic/financial profile of retired Oregon public school administrators and to determine the relationship between these profile factors and the degree to which financial needs are met, the level of perceived financial satisfaction, and the level of perceived life satisfaction. Another purpose was to define those financial issues which impact the retired administrator and would be helpful in developing guidelines useful for pre-retirement planning and education. The subjects selected for the study were the 295 retired Oregon public school administrators known to the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators who had retired prior to September 1984. Thirty-two questions were asked in an attempt to gather data regarding three major areas: biographical information, financial information, and perceptions of financial/life satisfaction. A total of 198 or 67% of the retired administrators surveyed returned a completed survey instrument. Based upon the results, a demographic/financial profile evolved for the sample population. Moreover, a significant relationship was found to exist between sex, health rating, the ability to keep pace with inflation and the degree to which financial needs are met. Sex, health rating, the level of pre-retirement income, the ability to keep pace with inflation and the point at which retirement planning began were found to relate significantly with the perception of financial satisfaction. A significant relationship was also found to exist between health rating, the level of pre-retirement income, the ability to keep pace with inflation and the perception of life satisfaction. The degree to which financial needs are met related significantly with the perception of financial satisfaction and perception of life satisfaction. Finally, a significant relationship was also found to exist between the perception of financial satisfaction and the perception of life satisfaction.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

This mixed-methods study explores childhood trauma with a primary focus on the beliefs and attitudes of elementary school administrators in their ability to offer trauma-informed leadership and assist their teachers in trauma-informed care (TIC) and education. Participants at various stages of their careers were recruited from elementary schools across 10 U.S. states (N = 240). Employing an explanatory sequential mixed method design, Phase I assessed school administrators’ attitudes using the attitudes related to trauma-informed care scale (ARTIC-45) (see Appendix A). Phase II employed semi-structured interviews to collect qualitative data to explain further and clarify the quantitative results. Findings suggest that elementary school administrators have positive attitudes related to trauma-informed care. Findings also suggest years of administrative experience shows a negative statistically significant relationship while the number of TIC training hours shows a positive statistically significant relationship to attitudes related to trauma-informed care. Analysis also suggests no statistically significant relationship between years of teaching experience and attitudes related to trauma-informed care. A closer examination of the ARTIC – 45 subscales indicate elementary school administrators have negative personal support attitudes toward TIC implementation and negative feelings about the systemwide support they receive from colleagues, supervisors, and administration to implement TIC.

No description available.