The purpose of this study was to compare the levels of computer use by school principals in administering their schools. Comparisons were made of the different techniques being employed by school principals as they manage the vast amounts of data that are present in today's educational process. A comprehensive collection of computer applications was identified and school principals were surveyed regarding their use of these applications. A random sample was selected from a population of 1,800 school principals in the state of Tennessee. School principals from 430 public schools and 70 private/parochial schools in Tennessee were surveyed for responses relative to their practices regarding the use of computers in the management of their school. Surveys were mailed in early January, 1992, to those principals who were identified in the sample selection. Surveys were received over a period of several weeks. A return of 71% was obtained. Findings include the determination that schools have computers specifically for the purpose of completing administrative tasks. Principals and office staffs are using administrative computers to improve their management of school data. The primary areas identified as being preformed by school principals were attendance, management of student data, wordprocessing, grade reporting, and transportation. Principals indicated that the major avenues for computer training is through seminars and workshops. The major conclusions included the need for additional computer training in principal preparation curricula, exposure to innovative uses of computers to enhance the administrative function.

The purpose of the study is to determine if students who were called with a computer assisted dialing device would have a better attendance record than students who were not called. One hundred and fifty students from three East Tennessee schools were chosen at the beginning of the 1986-1987 school year to serve as the control group. At the end of the 1986-1987 school year another 150 students were selected from the same three schools who had been called with the computer dialing device. Students were compared based on their attendance record for the entire eight month period. Using the t test for independent samples, it was determined that students who were called with the computer device had a better attendance record than students who were not called. Boys who were called showed a significant difference when compared with boys who were not called. Girls who were called showed a significant difference when compared with girls who were not called. Lower socio-economic students called with the computer device showed a significant difference when compared with lower socio-economic students who were not called. Higher socio-economic students called with the computer device showed a significant difference in attendance when compared with lower socio-economic students who were not called. Higher socio-economic students called with the computer device showed a significant difference in attendance when compared with higher socio-economic students who were not called. Black students called with the computer dialing device had a better attendance record than white students who were not called. Black students who were called with the computer device showed no significant difference when compared with black students who were not called. White students called with the computer device showed a significant difference in attendance when compared with white students who were not called. Black students called with the computer device showed a significant difference in attendance when compared with white students who were also called. Conclusions of the study emphasize the need for daily contact with the parents of students who are absent from school. A list of students with excessive absences the previous year should be targeted for a series of interventions to assure consistent school attendance. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)

The purpose of the study is to determine if students who were called with a computer assisted dialing device would have a better attendance record than students who were not called. One hundred and fifty students from three East Tennessee schools were chosen at the beginning of the 1986-1987 school year to serve as the control group. At the end of the 1986-1987 school year another 150 students were selected from the same three schools who had been called with the computer dialing device. Students were compared based on their attendance record for the entire eight month period. Using the t test for independent samples, it was determined that students who were called with the computer device had a better attendance record than students who were not called. Boys who were called showed a significant difference when compared with boys who were not called. Girls who were called showed a significant difference when compared with girls who were not called. Lower socio-economic students called with the computer device showed a significant difference when compared with lower socio-economic students who were not called. Higher socio-economic students called with the computer device showed a significant difference in attendance when compared with lower socio-economic students who were not called. Higher socio-economic students called with the computer device showed a significant difference in attendance when compared with higher socio-economic students who were not called. Black students called with the computer dialing device had a better attendance record than white students who were not called. Black students who were called with the computer device showed no significant difference when compared with black students who were not called. White students called with the computer device showed a significant difference in attendance when compared with white students who were not called. Black students called with the computer device showed a significant difference in attendance when compared with white students who were also called. Conclusions of the study emphasize the need for daily contact with the parents of students who are absent from school. A list of students with excessive absences the previous year should be targeted for a series of interventions to assure consistent school attendance. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)

The statement of the problem was taxpayers and the general populace have expressed dissatisfaction with the current schooling/education results. Influential educators, similarly, have stated their belief(s) that educational practice no longer meets the requirements for production of a competitive citizenry. The purpose of this study was to investigate the process of developing a new elementary school in Kingsport, Tennessee. This study explores the process used by the Kingsport City School System to determine the sequence of analyzing, planning and implementing a new elementary school designed for the twenty-first century. In this qualitative study, four research questions were formulated. A reputational model developed by Becker and Geer identified twelve interviewees for the study. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, limited participant observations and document analysis. The field effort concentrated on the respondents' perceptions of the process of the development of the new elementary school. Verbatim transcripts, field notes and documents were analyzed using qualitative techniques. Results suggested that there was planned process for developing/designing the new elementary school. During the analysis, twenty events emerged which form the sequence of the planned change for the implementation of the new elementary school. A visionary model of the new elementary school was reported from the three areas of analysis.

The Tennessee State Board of Education was moving to establish school-based decision making, with little or no apparent attention to what may be needed by educators. This study has been conceived based on the lack of an advertised plan of skill instruction, the lack of a supplied knowledge base from which educators can pull resources, and the lack of an obvious high level of understanding on the part of educators in general. A developmental inquiry and a survey were conducted to determine what principals and supervisors know about school-based decision making and what will be needed to increase the chances for a successful implementation. Descriptive and inferential statistics and a review of the research were used to answer five research questions that directed the study. Statistical analyses revealed the following: (1) Almost one-fourth of the administrators think they are currently implementing formal school-based decision making. (2) Those administrators reporting experience with school-based decision making tend to have more positive and closely aligned opinions to the literature than those reporting no experience. (3) While there was little reported difference in the survey results among the four sample groups, elementary principals were slightly more concerned about implementing the process. Principals and supervisors' ideas and perceptions of what school-based decision making is and how it should work were helpful in planning a model for implementation. The goal was to provide information to administrators concerning school-based decision making in a way that will strengthen and foster school programming and improve the quality of education for all students. Seven phases were projected to effect a successful transition from current practice to where school-based decision making becomes the rule rather than an exception in Tennessee schools: initial decision phase, preliminary plans, staff development, implementation, monitoring, adjusting, and evaluation.

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the origin and evolution of the Kingsport Regional Education Alliance (KREA 2000). A total of 18 individuals, representing three categories, business, education, and community, were selected by purposeful sampling techniques to participate. Data were collected through qualitative methods. The analysis revealed attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions of those involved in the KREA 2000 activities. Through data analysis the investigator identified a core group of influencers who were primarily responsible for the creation of KREA 2000. The investigator identified four major categories that were critical to the evolution of KREA 2000. The four major categories were: leadership, communication, infrastructure, and collaboration. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were suggested: (1) KREA 2000 should set up a channel of leadership that will prepare future chairs; (2) KREA 2000 should become more proactive in the political arena in regard to educational issues; (3) the KREA 2000 should be staffed with a full time coordinator and a part-time clerical person, (4) KREA 2000 should appoint a volunteer liaison to each participant agency; and (5) KREA 2000 should concentrate on supporting initiatives within and among the participant agency, not create independent projects.

Purpose. The purpose of the study was to determine energy conservation practices in selected school systems and to identify practical means of efficient utilization of energy resources as they relate to educational facilities. As a part of this study, guidelines to improve the utilization of energy resources in practical ways were developed. (Abstract shortened.)

This study examined assistant principals' perceptions regarding their beliefs concerning actual involvement and ideal involvement with competencies identified by the Tennessee State Department of Education as evaluative measures for principals and assistant principals employed in public schools in the State of Tennessee during the 1996-1997 school year. Nine hundred fifty-four assistant principals made up the population for this study. Two hundred eighty-one assistant principals made up the sample. One hundred seventy-nine questionnaires were returned. Competencies from the State of Tennessee Model for Local Evaluation of Administrators /Supervisors were used to develop a survey instrument to determine assistant principals' actual involvement and ideal involvement with each of the competency areas. The Likert-type responses for actual involvement and ideal involvement each ranged from 1 (Low) through 7 (High). The competency areas included instructional leadership, organizational management, communication, interpersonal relations, professional development, and leadership. Demographic information included gender, race, age, location of school, type of school, and educational attainment. A significant difference was found in each of the competency areas between assistant principals' actual involvement and ideal involvement in each of the areas. There was no significant difference found between actual competency scores of assistant principals employed in rural, urban, and suburban schools. No significant difference was found between ideal competency scores of assistant principals according to their educational level, and no significant difference was found between actual competency scores of assistant principals employed in elementary, middle/junior high, and high schools.

The problem was to determine factors Tennessee school leaders consider important to effective leadership. Organizational frames by Bolman and Deal were used. The four organizational frames used in the study were structural, human resource, political, and symbolic approaches to leadership. The frames were examined with regard to their relationship to Tennessee superintendent's leadership and management styles with the perception of his/her style by their superordinates and subordinates. Leadership Orientations, a validated instrument designed by Bolman and Deal, was used to gain insight about school leader perceptions from superintendents and from individuals who work in school administration with the superintendents. Individual school systems, the director of the Tennessee Academy of School Leaders (TASL), the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents (TOSS), and the Tennessee School Board Association (TSBA) received the data analysis results about leadership perspectives. The research provided school system personnel a method to understand individual, subordinate, and superordinate expectations as they relate to the four organizational frames. Additionally, the findings indicated predictors of management and leadership effectiveness as perceived by the respondents.

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceptions of academic deans and department chairpersons regarding the leadership behavior of deans; and, to determine the relationship between perceived leadership behavior of deans and job satisfaction of department chairpersons in the public institutions of higher education. The study involved a random sample of 50 academic deans and 285 department chairpersons at public universities in Tennessee. Testing of five null hypotheses was based upon responses of 42 academic deans (84%) and 173 department chairpersons (60%). The Leadership behavior of academic deans was measured by the Leadership Practices Inventory (Kouzes & Posner, 1987). The job satisfaction of department chairpersons was determined through the Index of Job Satisfaction. A combination of means difference tests and correlational methods was used to answer questions concerning the relationship between leadership behavior of academic deans and job satisfaction of department chairpersons. Of the five null hypotheses tested, two were found to be significant at the level of.05. The conclusions drawn from the rejected hypotheses were: There was a significant difference between deans and department chairpersons in the perception of leadership behavior of deans. The overall mean score of LPI-Self was significantly higher than that of LPI-Other. The deans perceived their leadership behavior, as described in LPI, to be more effective than did department chairpersons. In addition, there was a significant relationship between the leadership behavior of deans perceived by department chairpersons and their job satisfaction. The more effective the department chairpersons perceived the deans' leadership behavior to be, the more they were satisfied with their jobs. Finally, the total number of years in the department chairpersons' position had a significant impact on how they perceived deans' leadership behavior. Department chairpersons in the position for a total of less than a year perceived deans' leader behavior as more effective than those who had been in the position for 7-9 years.