Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Washington, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-101).

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of West Florida, 2005. / Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 135 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 162-170). Also available on the Internet.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The Namibian education system was affected by a number of changes and challenges. These changes and challenges emanated from new political, financial and socio-economic trends in Namibia and the global village. Due to their strategic positions as educational leaders-cum-managers, principals were expected to lead and manage schools to overcome the challenges and meet increasing expectations of varied stakeholders. However, many secondary school principals especially those in rural areas could not cope with the changes and challenges. Rural secondary school principals did not have what it takes to manage and lead their schools effectively and efficiently. This study investigated the professional development of Namibian secondary school principles with special focus on rural secondary school principals in the Omusati Region, a region in north central of Namibia. / South Africa

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 present study examined the implementation of a Washington state policy which requires that school administrators give their subordinates the opportunity to appraise their performance. The importance of this topic is suggested by research findings that indicate appraisals of principals by teachers yield information to assess and improve the administrative skills of principals. Research questions sought information on activities at the state level which served to promote implementation of the state policy. Other research questions sought information on the extent and impact of local school district policies and practices that were consistent with the state policy. The methodology for the study combined survey research and interviews. The interview methodology was used to collect qualitative information on the efforts of officials at the state level to promote local implementation of the state policy. Mailed surveys were used to collect data on the extent and impact of local school district policies and practices consistent with the state policy. The results of this study showed that none of the officials interviewed cited any activities at the state level, which promoted the implementation of the state policy. Results of the mailed surveys indicated that only 7% of local school districts had adopted policies on appraisal by subordinates that included the requirements of the state policy. Moreover, only 22% to 29% of school administrators were found to have complied with the requirements of the state policy by giving their subordinates the opportunity to appraise their performance. School personnel in a position to evaluate the effects of appraisal strategies reported that these strategies were beneficial for assessing administrator performance. Some school personnel also reported improvements in administrator performance and the school program, as a result of these appraisal activities. However, elements of the strategy described in state policy neither ensure changes in administrative behavior, nor protect subordinates against reprisals for making the appraisal.

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.

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