Public school teachers have, with few exceptions, invested four or more years in higher education to prepare themselves for the teaching profession. These four years of college education can be viewed as an investment when one realizes that the teacher had to pay for that education and could have otherwise been earning an income during that time. Some teachers make an additional investment in education by earning a master's degree or a doctorate. This study looked at the practice of teachers in Virginia who decide to make the additional investment in graduate education at selected Virginia institutions of higher education. This study used econometric methods to analyze this investment in graduate education. Social benefits and costs of education were not included in the study. Private costs included both direct and indirect acquisition costs. The salary supplements paid by school divisions to teachers who hold an advanced degree were used as the private benefits. Non-pecuniary benefits were not included in the study. Net present valuation, discounted benefits and costs, benefit-cost ratio, and internal rate of return calculations were made. Data from similar studies done in other areas of graduate study and in other areas of the nation and world were reviewed. The purpose of the study was to review the practice of all school divisions in Virginia which provide a salary supplement to teachers who hold a master's degree or a doctorate, and also to analyze the costs involved in the acquisition of such degrees. The cost-benefit analysis of the teachers' investment in graduate education provides information which can be used by teachers who are considering such an investment. The analysis can also be used by those school divisions which are currently spending considerable amounts of money for such salary supplements. The cost-benefit analysis of acquiring a master's degree with a subsequent change from the classroom to an administrative position has implications for school divisions and state level policy makers. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this research study was to examine the perceptions of Virginia's elementary principals concerning the concept of merit pay for classroom teachers. The problem for investigation was: what are the attitudes of these principals toward merit pay for classroom teachers? To identify these perceptions, a fixed-response-form-questionnaire, Survey on Perceptions of Elementary Principals on Merit Pay for Classroom Teachers, was developed by the researcher. The questionnaire was designed to gather information in six areas of concern: demographics of respondents, outcomes expected if a plan were adopted, opinions for or against merit pay plans, means for evaluation of teachers, resistance expected among teachers, and the most acceptable form of plan. Reliability was established at .85. In a random selection, 300 elementary school principals (26%) were mailed surveys, 269 surveys (89.66%) were returned, 31 (10.33%) principals did not respond. An attempt was made to contact each nonrespondent by telephone to see if there were any particular reasons why the survey was not answered. Nine nonrespondents were contacted, and 8 of them indicated a lack of time as the reason for not responding. Because of the high response rate, it was felt that nonrespondents could not have biased the data, therefore, attempts to administer the survey by telephone were not made. Respondents felt that teachers would become more competitive and less cooperative. Parents would make requests that their children be placed with teachers receiving merit pay, and teacher-filed grievances would increase. Respondents believed in the concept of paying more effective teachers higher salaries, but they were reluctant to recommend the adoption of a merit pay plan. Respondents felt that principals should be the main evaluators of teachers, but they endorsed the use of teachers' peers and outside evaluators. They felt that teacher associations would oppose merit pay. Of the three forms of above-the-scale compensation defined for the study, principals surveyed felt that teachers would find differentiated staffing the least objectionable. It was concluded that, given the attitudes of Virginia's elementary principals, it is unlikely that a merit pay plan can be successfully implemented in Virginia. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to examine the trends, characteristics and the superintendent's perceptions in school districts with black superintendents. To accomplish this objective, seven hypothesis statements were used to examine nine variables related to financial and racial data in the selected districts. The population for this study consisted of 83 black superintendents, serving in school districts in 14 states. The participants were asked to provide biographical data and respond to a five-point rating scale that represented their perception on statements related to trends and characteristics in their districts. The demographic data was collected from the United States Census Bureau and the Joint Center for Political Studies. The two-section instrument used in the study was developed by the researcher. The first section collected biographical data used to establish the superintendent's profile. The second part of the instrument consisted of 30 Likert type statements used to establish the superintendents' perceptions. The profile data on the superintendents was analyzed using the statistical package for Social Science (SPSS) frequency distribution and cross-tabulation procedures. The demographic data was analyzed using SPSS frequency distribution, means, cross-tabulation and standard deviation. The Runs Test (at .05 significance level) was used to substantiate data randomness and to examine trends. The findings reveal definite trends and unique conditions in school districts with black superintendents. / Ed. D.

One hundred and twenty-two students at Virginia Tech who had completed teacher certification requirements in science and/or mathematics from 1980 to 1986 were surveyed to determine their current employment status, and if not currently teaching, then what reforms in the conditions of teaching might encourage them to return to or enter teaching. Opinions were solicited from three groups: current teachers, those who had left teaching, and those who had never taught. Data were reported in four categories: general demographics of all groups, importance of work satisfaction for all groups, modifications in the conditions of teaching necessary to entice those not currently teaching to return to or enter teaching, and opinions of current teachers on how to improve recruitment and retention of qualified science and mathematics teachers. It was determined that the general demographics of the individuals surveyed conformed to general descriptions of teachers in current literature with the exception that the parents of Virginia Tech graduates were more highly educated and tended to hold professional and semiprofessional positions in higher percentages. No significant differences were determined among current teachers, those who left teaching, and those who had never taught in regard to opinions of work satisfaction in teaching. Lack of administrative support, poor student discipline, and low salaries were factors involved with decisions not to teach. Others left teaching to raise a family. Improvements in working conditions that would encourage non-teachers to teach include improvement of student discipline, reduction of class size, removal of incompetent teachers, reduction of teacher isolation, reduction of stress, and the improvement of the physical environment. Almost 60% of individuals not currently teaching would teach if offered a suitable position. The majority of current teachers believe that raising teachers' salaries would be the most important improvement to increase recruitment and retention of teachers, however, beginning teachers' salaries compared favorably with those of individuals employed outside of education. Almost two out of three current teachers indicated they planned to leave teaching within five or more years. / Ed. D.

This study was conducted to determine what the relationship is between the employee compensation/benefit programs in Texas public school districts and the basic values and beliefs that are important to the success of the districts.

"This paper is limited to a study of a sample of churches receiving support from the Commission on Minimum Salary of the North Texas Conference of the Methodist Church. It is further limited to the phases of membership, budgets, World Service, and minimum salary. The period to be covered is the four years from June, 1949, to June, 1953, during which time the Commission operated under the same principles and officers."-- leaf 1.

The first essay analyzes mutual funds proxy voting records on shareholder proposals. The results indicate that mutual funds support shareholder proposals and vote against management for proposals that are likely to increase shareholders wealth and rights, in firms with weaker external monitoring mechanisms, in firms with entrenched management, and when funds have longer investment horizon. Mutual funds mostly take management sides on executive compensation related proposals, when they have higher ownership concentration, and when they belong to bigger fund families. The results further indicate that there is a positive reputational effect for the funds undertaking a monitoring role. Moreover, mutual funds reduce holdings when they disapprove of managements policy, but before doing so they take on an activist role by supporting shareholder proposals. The second essay investigates institutional investors trading behavior of acquiring firm stocks surrounding merger activities. We label investment companies and independent investment advisors as active institutions and banks, nonbank trusts and insurance companies as passive institutions. We find active institutions increase holdings of acquiring firm stocks for mergers with higher wealth implications. However, active institutions overreact to stock mergers at the announcement, which they appear to correct at the resolution quarter of the merger. The trading behavior of passive institutions suggests that these institutions disregard the market response of merger announcement in trading acquiring firm stocks at the announcement quarter. The passive institutions gradually update their beliefs and trade on the basis of merger wealth effect at the resolution quarter. The third essay examines relation between executive compensation structure with the existing level and changes of takeover defense mechanisms of firms. According to managerial entrenchment hypothesis, higher managerial power from adoption of takeover defense mechanisms would lead to generating higher rents for executives. Efficient contracting hypothesis argue that higher anti-takeover provisions would contribute in achieving efficient contracting by deferring compensation into the future due to the low possibility of hostile takeover. The results support managerial entrenchment hypothesis with regard to existing level of takeover defense mechanisms. With regard to changes in anti-takeover provisions, the existing level of managerial power influence the future pay structure.

The goal of this research was to determine, in a South African context, whether there is any correlation between chief executive officer compensation and the performance of the company. For the purposes of the research , the compensation of chief executive officers was broken down into three components: salary, bonus and "other" remuneration, while company performance was measured on return on equity, return on assets and earnings per share figures. Studies on this topic have been carried out in other countries, most notably in the United States of America and the United Kingdom. It appears that no research of a similar nature has been carried out in South Africa. Data in respect of the forty largest listed companies in South Africa were collected over a period of five years. The econometric models used for the research were based on models identified in the literature study. The data were then analysed for evidence of a correlation between chief executive officer compensation and the performance of the company. The results of this study indicate that there is no linear relationship between chief executive officer compensation and company performance variables. The econometric models did, however, show correlations between certain variables, taking into account the other predictor variables in the model. Evidence of correlations between age and experience and compensation was also found , which may present potential avenues of research to scholars in the future.

This study provides a detailed description of full-time faculty salary and fringe benefits in US public community colleges by state and by 2005 Carnegie basic classification type for the academic year 2003-2004. This classification is used to analyze data from the National Center for Education Statistics' Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data System (IPEDS). Further analysis clusters states into the following groupings: states with/without collective bargaining agreements, states with/without local appropriations, large megastates versus nonmegastates (using the methodology developed by Grapevine at Illinois State University), and the impact of California on the nation's salaries and fringe benefits. The analysis showed high level of variation of salaries paid by the type of community college (rural, suburban, and urban serving) in the US. The nation's average salary for full-time faculty was $52,598. Rural serving small institutions faculty salary was $18,754 or 45 % less than the nation's average. Salaries in colleges with collective bargaining agreement were higher than in colleges without collective bargaining agreements. Faculty teaching in suburban serving colleges with local taxation had the highest salaries, $61,822 within colleges with access to local support. Suburban serving multiple colleges in megastates had the highest faculty salary average, $64,540 as compared to $42,263 for rural serving colleges in non-megastates. California may be a state with a very high cost of living; however, that does not diminish the fact that community college faculty are among the highest paid faculty in the nation. Colleges with collective bargaining agreements, with local appropriations, and in megastates, tended to have better benefits packages for their faculty. This study includes recommendations for further research, including a recommendation that a quantitative statistical analysis be undertaken to show statistical significance in salaries and fringe benefits among collective and non-collective bargaining states, a study addressing the faculty and leadership challenges that community colleges will be facing soon should be done, and that a similar study be done that includes tribal colleges.

This study investigated the present status of classification/salary administration of office support personnel employed in the public schools of North Carolina. Although this study was limited to office support personnel positions, it had implications for all classified positions within the public schools. The purpose of the study was to provide information and develop recommendations for planning and establishing classification/salary administration policies for classified personnel. The recommendations addressed concerns identified through the review of literature, a questionnaire which was completed by administrators across the state, and interviews with administrators from five school systems. The results from this study indicated that superintendents, more often than other administrators, were responsible for classification/salary administration of office support personnel. The majority of office support personnel were classified in the lowest state classification levels. The criteria most often used for determination of classification levels was matching job description with state job classification level descriptions. The interview and observation methods were the two methods most often used for collecting job classification information. The majority of administrators believed: the local school systems should determine classification status, there should be a standardized performance appraisal instrument, there should be performance-based pay, and salaries of office support personnel were slightly lower than the local business community. Uniformity issues were perceived to exist both internally with the respective school system and externally by comparison of school systems. As a result of this study, recommendations for school systems to follow in their classification/salary administration policies and procedures for classified personnel were developed. The ultimate aim of these recommendations was to eliminate some of the inconsistencies found to exist. / Ed. D. / incomplete_metadata