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The purposes of this study were to 1) validate a conceptual framework for effective instructional supervision of special education programs by examining the perceptions of three groups of practitioners; and 2) describe the extent and importance of principal instructional supervision of special education programs in Virginia by examining the perceptions of principals, special educators, and general educators. A secondary purpose was to determine the barriers principals feel prevent them from providing effective supervision. The sample consisted of 210 principals, 404 special education teachers, and 291 general education teachers who work in mainstreamed settings. A conceptual framework based on a comprehensive review of the literature and validated by a panel of experts formed the basis for items on the instrument. Descriptive data were gathered using two questionnaires (one for principals and one for teachers) that contained similar items describing supervisory behaviors that are needed for effective special education programs. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Frequencies, means and standard deviations were computed for all items. One-way ANOVAs with post hoc comparisons were computed to analyze differences among groups. The major finding of this study was that both special and general education teachers believed that principals were not demonstrating many of the behaviors that characterize effective instructional supervision. Specifically, the results indicated that: 1) principals and teachers believed that all instructional supervisory behaviors were important; 2) principals' perceptions of the extent of current practices significantly greater than special and general education teachers' perceptions for most practices; 3) more special educators than general educators felt that they were not receiving effective instructional supervision from principals; 4) teachers believed that principals provided less supervision to both groups of teachers in the area of instructional programming (e.g., technical assistance with teaching and planning skills; and 5) principals indicated that a lack of time was the only barrier preventing them from providing more effective instructional supervision in programs for students with disabilities. / Ed. D.

The cross-case analysis described in this study explores the patterns of practice that support the induction needs of Alternatively Certified Teachers (ACTs) in the high school educational environment of a large suburban school district. Bronfenbrenner's (1976) systemic model of the educational environment that envisions a series of nested, interacting sub-systems is utilized as a roadmap for exploration. Data were collected beginning in the macro-system and continuing through the exo-system, meso-system, and micro-system of the educational environment. Interviews with teacher educators at the macro-system level, with central office staff at the exo-system level, with school administrators at the meso-system level, and with ACTs at the micro-system level were the primary means of data collection. Case study schools included three "high-ACT schools" with the largest number of ACTs in the district and two "norm-ACT schools" that reflected the average number of ACTs in the remaining five high schools in the district. Observations at teacher induction activities and mentor training sessions and analysis of relevant documents, including mentor program evaluation responses, were used to triangulate the data. Evolving display matrices were the primary strategy for data analysis. Themes were identified at each level of the educational environment. Differences among the sub-systems and between the "high-ACT" and "norm-ACT" schools were described. Findings revealed the following consistent themes within the levels of the high school environment: (a) the use of creative recruitment practices that include recognition of the value of ACTs as an important resource for finding new teachers; (b) emphasis on the role of personal qualities and teacher beliefs in equipping an individual to make a successful transition to teaching; (c) the pervasive sense of culture shock that ACTs experience; (d) the emphasis on establishing a wide network of formal and informal mentors; and (e) the emphasis on learning the connection between classroom management and good instruction. The study concluded that the general patterns of practice supporting ACTs in the high school educational environment can be organized into the following categories: (a) blending theory and practice by infusing university expertise into the schoolhouse; (b) promoting formal and informal mentoring; and (c) differentiating support to meet the special needs of ACTs. / Ed. D.

This study sought to determine the staff development knowledge and skill needs of school administrators as perceived by primary school principals in Thailand. This study posed the following questions for investigation: what specific knowledge and skills do primary school principals in Thailand perceive as necessary for them to perform the role of staff developer in their schools, and which competencies are perceived to be the most important?

Afrikaans text / Die bestuurstaak van die hoof van 'n preprimere skoal word gekenmerk aan die eie aard en struktuur van preprimere onderwys. Die doel van hierdie studie is die identifisering en omskrywing van die aard en omvang van die besondere bestuurstaak. Die diversiteit en kompleksiteit van hierdie bestuurstaak word vergestalt in die huidige beleid oor preprimere onderwys wat meebring dat verskeie staatsdepartemente, provinsiale- en plaaslike owerhede, gemeenskaps- en privaatinstansies by die beheer en voorsiening van preprimere onderwys betrokke is. Hierbenewensmoet die doelstellings van preprimere onderwys ann die unieke behoeftes ban die jong kind voldoen. Noue samewerking met die ouers asook samewerking tussen die personeel onderling, is uiteraard noodsaaklik. Die invloed van gemeenskapstrukture en die eise van die moderne samelewing word in die bestuurstaak aangespreek. In hierdie verband word veral verwys na gesinsprobleme waarby die hoof in 'n vertrouens- en raadgewende hoedanigheid betrokke is. In die bepaling van die omvang van die bestuurstaak is die vier hooftake in onderwysbestuur, naamlik beplanning, organisering, leidinggewing en beheer op die tersaaklike bestuursareas van toepassing gemaak. Benewens algemene bestuursaangeleenthede, het die preprimere skoolhoof ook 'n besondere taak ten opsigte van die professionele uitbouing van die beroep. Ten einde te bepaal hoe die bestuurstaak in die praktyk realiseer, is 'n kwalitatiewe ondersoek na die persoonlike ervaring en interpretasie van skoolhoofde onderneem. Dataversameling aan die hand van in-diepte onderhoude het velerlei probleme, wat aanvullend tot die literatuurstudie bespreek kon word, openbaar. In die lig van die moontlike privatisering van preprimere onderwys sal aangeleenthede soos finansiele bestuur en bemarking in die kurrikulum van preprimere onderwysbestuur aangespreek moet word. Die aktualiteit van 'n effektiewe beheerstruktuur vir preprimere onderwys word beklemtoon. Op grand van die bevindings normatiewe ontwikkeling van onderwysbestuur gemaak. van die studie is aanbevelings die opleidingskursusse in vir die preprimere onderwysbestuur gemaak. / The management task of the principal of a preprimary school is characterised by the distinctive nature and structure of preprimary education. The purpose of this study is tn identify and define the nature and scope of the particular management task. Both the diversity and complexity of this management task are embodied in the current policy on preprimary education which entails the involvement of various state departments, provincial and local authorities, social and ·private organisations in the control and provision of preprimary education. In addition to this; the aims of preprimary education have to meet the unique needs of the young child. Close cooperation with the parents • as well as mutual cooperation among the staff is naturally essential. The influence of social structures and the demands of modern society are addressed by the management task. In this regard special reference is made to family problems where the principal is involved in a confidential and advisory capacity. The four primary tasks in educational management, namely planning, organisation, guidance and control, are applied to the relevant management areas to determine the scope of the management task. Apart from general managerial concerns, the preprimary school principal also has a special task with regard to the professional extension of the profession. In· order to determine how the management task materialises in practice, a qualitative investigation was undertaken into the personal· experience and interpretation of school principals. The data collected by means of in-depth interviews, revealed several problems, additional to those which emerged from the literature study, which were discussed. In the light of the possible privatisation of preprimary education, issues such as financial management and marketing will have to be addressed in the curriculum of preprimary educational management. The actuality of an effective control structure for preprimary education is stressed. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations are made for the normative development of the training courses in preprimary educational management. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Onderwysbestuur)

Este trabalho teve como objeto de pesquisa a prática de profissionais da Supervisão Escolar na Educação Infantil. O objetivo da investigação foi trazer uma discussão sobre as atribuições do Supervisor Escolar, mediante a realização de um estudo de caso em uma Escola Municipal de Educação Infantil (EMEI) da rede pública da cidade de São Paulo, envolvendo um total de seis supervisores que atuaram na unidade estudada. Considerado o período de 1997 a 2007, em dez anos de vigência da Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional, nº 9394/96, o estudo constou do exame documental de dispositivos legais relativos à normatização da ação supervisora no município de São Paulo e de registros escritos realizados pelos supervisores escolares em forma de Termos de Visita. Também envolveu a análise de relatos orais, obtidos a partir de entrevistas semiestruturadas com esses profissionais. Este estudo identificou três aspectos fundamentais no que diz respeito à atuação do Supervisor Escolar, especialmente na Educação Infantil da Unidade escolar analisada: primeiramente, o discurso presente nos Termos de Visita demonstra que existe um acúmulo de tarefas de cunho administrativo e burocrático, em que são priorizadas ações no Ensino Fundamental em detrimento da Educação Infantil na prática desses profissionais. Quanto aos dados obtidos nas entrevistas, pode-se comprovar que a formação continuada em serviço destinada aos profissionais da Supervisão é uma necessidade premente; e, finalmente, a falta de uma legislação que oriente a prática da Supervisão de modo mais integrado com as reais demandas do seu campo de atuação. / This work was as a research practice of professionals in School Supervision in Early Childhood Education. The goal of the research was to bring a discussion of the duties of the School Supervisor, by conducting a case study in a Municipal School of Early Childhood Education from the city of São Paulo, involving a total of six supervisors who worked in the unit studied. Considered the period 1997 to 2007, ten years of The Directives and Bases of National Education, Law nº. 9394/96, the study consisted of document review of existing legislation on the standardization of supervisory action in the city of Sao Paulo and written records made by the school supervisors in the form of Terms of Visiting. It also involved the analysis of oral histories, obtained from semi-structured interviews with these professionals. This study identified three key issues regarding the performance of the School Supervisor, especially in Early Childhood Education Unit school examined: first, the discourse in this Terms of visit shows that there is a backlog of administrative tasks and bureaucratic stamp, they are prioritized actions in elementary school at the expense of early childhood education in the practice of these professionals. According to the data obtained in the interviews the professional in-service training is an urgent need, and finally, the lack of legislation that leads the practice of supervision respecting their needs and demands.

The purpose of this enquiry is to explore how leadership and decision-making was practiced across various school structures. The research focuses on the practice of decision making as an element of distributed leadership, its degree of distribution, as well as its development and enhancement. In focusing on decision-making, the challenges experienced by both the school management as well level one educators in the advancement of distributed decision making is documented. The study was conducted within a qualitative interpretive paradigm and took the form of a case study of the enactment of decision making in a suburban primary school in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. Data collection techniques employed included openended questionnaires, observations, semi -structured individual interviews and a focus group interview. Data was analysed using thematic content analysis. Significant themes that emerged from the data were the availability of structures and its enhancing or inhibiting properties for shared decision, the principal as an enabler or disabler of distributed leadership, the SMT’s support for shared decision making, further strategies to enhance shared decision making and the challenges to decision making. Gunter’s (2005) characterisation of distributed leadership served as analytical tools in this study. My findings revealed that there were a number of decision making structures within the school and the school milieu encouraged the enactment of shared decision making. The transformational leadership approach of the SMT and more especially the principal acted as a catalyst for shared decision making. Despite ample evidence that decision making was shared, the situation sometimes resulted in the authoritarian approach being the default position. Further to this, the data sets indicated that decision making and leadership was widely dispersed; however, the emergent characteristic of dispersed leadership, while present, was not optimally operational. The involvement of the majority of teachers in shared decision making was in the form of authorised distributed leadership. The SMT transformational agenda of inclusion of all educators and the deliberate orchestration of opportunities to empower educators encapsulated the democratic distributed leadership characteristic. Teachers’ expansive or restricted level of participation in decision making was situational. This outcome was used to conceptualise a framework for the level of participation in decision making. Despite, an enabling environment, there were some challenges to shared decision making. These challenges, in the main, were a lack of peer support, self-imposed barriers such as lack of confidence, a lack of support structures from the DoE and time constraints. Finally the study presented propositions for the further enhancement and strengthening of the decision making process in the case school as well as recommendations for further research. No doubt, the case school has embraced the tenets of our democracy and has made substantial inroads into creating a shared vision, through shared participation. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Marshall University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 183 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 170-178).