The four frames of leadership orientation outlined by Bolman and Deal (1990) included the structural, human resource, political, and symbolic leadership styles and comprised the theoretical basis for this study. In March 2001, the survey instrument, Leadership Orientations (Self) was mailed to 431 elementary principals in a 15 county region of Florida public schools. Two mailings yielded a return of249 (59.7%) useable surveys from which principals' self-ratings on leader behaviors, leadership styles, and overall effectiveness in leadership and management were examined. This study sought to develop a profile of elementary school principals and to determine the differences in their use of the four leadership orientations. Frame usage was also examined based on the selected school environmental and professional variables of school size, student socioeconomic status, parent volunteer hours, PTA membership, and principal experience. Frame analysis of the principals' self-ratings led to the following findings: (a) the human resource frame was the predominant frame used by the principals; (b) the structural frame was the second most frequently used frame; (c) the political and symbolic frames were less frequently used by principals; and (d) the use of multiple frames was reported by 60.0% of the principals. Frame use did not significantly differ based on school size, student SES, or parent volunteer hours. Principals at schools with very large PTA memberships (over 75%) used the political frame significantly more frequently than did principals at schools with small PTA memberships (less than 25%). Differences in frame use emerged in relation to principal experience, however. Principals with 8-11 years experience used multiple frames more frequently than did their counterparts with 0-3 years experience. Principals with 0 3 years experience used the structural frame more frequently than did their counterparts with 12-15 years experience. Finally, elementary principals rated themselves equally effective in overall leadership and management when compared to other principals with similar experience.

The purpose of this study was to discover how ethnicity, gender, and mentoring influenced the career experiences of Jamaican administrators in Sunshine County Public Schools (SCPS), a pseudonym that was used for a large public school district in Florida. This qualitative, phenomenological study focused on the career experiences of eight Jamaican administrators in SCPS. Seven of the participants were all native-born Jamaicans and one was a first generation Jamaican, born in England to Jamaican parents and raised in Jamaica until the age of 14. The researcher gained this understanding by interviewing participants in-depth about how their Jamaican ethnicity, gender, and personal mentoring experiences impacted their personal and professional journey as administrators in SCPS. Findings and conclusions will inform mentoring and educational leadership literature on strategies for success geared toward this understudied population. / by Denise P. Barrett-Johnson. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

This study examined K-12 school administrators' attitudes toward speech language pathology services in public schools. Elementary, middle, and secondary school based administrators, employed in 63 school districts throughout Florida, were solicited to participate in the study in a letter of invitation generated by a web-based design program, Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) Community. Administrators volunteering in the study were given an assurance of confidentiality and fair treatment concerning their participation. A survey instrument, the Scale of Educators 'Attitudes toward Speech Pathology (SEASP) consisting of 10 demographic items and 34 positive and negative statements about speech and language programs in schools was used to gather data. Participants were asked to provide their reactions along a favorable/unfavorable continuum to the survey. The results obtained from this study duplicated measurements used by previous researchers and examined the mean scores and standard deviations of item responses. Analyses of"between group" and "within group" differences examined attitudes among variables relative to professional levels, building size, and additional certification areas and were conducted using one-way and two-way ANOV As. Descriptive statistics were included to provide a profile of the participant population - means, frequencies and consensus of responses. Overall, among administrative participants, there existed minimal differences in attitudes toward speech-language pathology programs in public schools. This was true at elementary, middle and secondary levels, and included (as a secondary group) those "other personnel" who might, at times, supervise speech-language pathology professionals. Thus, school administrators generally agreed in their attitudes toward speech language pathology programs. The means of responses measuring attitudes in predetermined categories yielded results that demonstrated a consensus of agreement in the areas of(a) the impact services on student success, (b) program quality, and (c) the role of the speech-language pathologist, respectively. Results yielded no statistically significant differences in respondents' attitudes toward speech-language pathologists among school administrators employed at building sites having small and non-small populations, and among school administrators having, or not having, additional certification in exceptional student education. Because speech-language pathologists are evaluated by school administrators and other non-field personnel, suggestions are provided concerning the use of performance appraisals, ways to enhance the quality and delivery of school services, and enhancing university programs in communication sciences and disorders, to include components in supervision.