This researcher examined the correlation between leadership style and stress encountered by Indiana high school principals responsible for students in grades nine through twelve only. A review of the literature revealed a considerable amount of literature was written relevant to administrators and stress during the 1970's and 1980's. However, a large portion of that literature was based on opinion and not research. The flurry of writing and research that emerged during the 1970's and 1980's was not extended as fervently into the 1990's or the new millennium.In attempts to reform schools, the principal's role is at the forefront of the change effort. Change carries with it increasing obligations and responsibilities. Principals are also working in an environment of high accountability pressuring them to improve student achievement. The high demand for increased accountability and the growing responsibilities have translated into new sources of stress for administrators.Leadership was categorized into four major leadership styles based on the ABC Leadership Assessment: Controller, Team Builder, Manager, and Creator. Stress was characterized according to a factor analysis of the Administrative Stress Index which categorized stress as task-oriented or relationship-oriented.The research hypothesis was stated in the null as the researcher had no predisposition to the direction of the relationship between levels of perceived stress and types of leadership style. Data were collected from 26 principals in the East Central Indiana Public School Study Council. The ABC Leadership Assessment survey was used to measure the independent variable (leadership style). The Administrative Stress Index survey was utilized to measure the dependent variable (stress).A significant correlation was found between two of the four leadership styles and the level of perceived stress of the participating high school principals. The two significant correlations were found to exist with the Controller and Creator Leadership styles and stress. Principals who scored themselves as possessing the Controller Leadership style demonstrated a positive relationship in both task-oriented and relationship-oriented stress. An inverse relationship for principals who rated themselves as possessing high leadership skills in the Creator Leadership style was also revealed through the data.The analysis of the stress survey from this study revealed a top loading of stressors in the task-oriented category as did the stress survey analysis conducted by Swent and Gmelch (1977) and Brimm (1983). The stress factor, disciplining staff, was added to the Administrative Stress Index by this researcher based on personal experience. A major finding relevant to this study was the fact that the administrators ranked disciplining staff as the number one perceived stressor. Administrators participating in this study confirmed that disciplining teachers is a major stressor in today's demanding and changing educational environment. / Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree to which Indiana secondary school principals engaged in mathematics instructional leadership behaviors that supported the implementation of the NCTM Standards.A self-reporting survey was sent to 300 randomly chosen secondary school principals, from a population of 672 public school secondary principals in the State of Indiana during the 2000-2001 school year. A total of 151 usable surveys were returned for a response rate of 50.3 percent. The 151 secondary school principals who returned the questionnaires were 22.5 percent of the population.The survey instrument was an adaptation of questionnaires developed by Horizon Research Incorporated, 1992; Cauley, Van de Walle, and Hoyt, 1993; and Horizon Research Incorporated; 1994. The survey instrument was designed to ascertain demographic information on the principal's school, personal background information on the principal, as well as information concerning the mathematics instructional leadership behaviors of the principal.The major findings from this study were:1. Principals who had more positive attitudes towards the NCTM Standards were more likely to have engaged in a higher degree of support for teachers who implemented the NCTM Standards. Also, principals who had more positive attitudes towards the NCTM Standards were more likely to provide a greater degree of direction to staff members with respect to the implementation of the NCTM Standards.2. Female principals engaged in mathematics instructional leadership behaviors to a greater degree than did male principals.3. Principals from urban schools engaged in mathematics instructional leadership behaviors to a greater degree than did principals from rural schools. / Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to determine the status of health promotion activities provided by Indiana public school corporations for their employees and the impact of corporation leadership on the provision of these activities. The subjects of this study were Indiana public school superintendents. All 291 superintendents were mailed the survey instrument created by the researcher for this study and there were 227 (78%) responses.The results showed that 54% of the responding Indiana school corporations provided some type of health promotion activity for employees on a corporation-wide basis. The primary reason school corporations provided health promotion activities for employees was to keep employees healthy. The major impediment in providing health promotion activities for employees was a lack of resources. School corporations in rural settings were less likely to provide health promotion activities for employees. School corporations were more likely to provide health promotion activities for employees as the number of full-time employees increased. This study also found a relationship between the importance a superintendent placed on providing health promotion activities for employees and the provision of those activities in a school corporation. As worksites, Indiana public school corporations have not met the national goals and objectives for worksites found in Healthy People 2010. / Department of Educational Leadership