Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

xi, 203, 4 p. A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries under the call number: SCA Archiv Theses K672 / This study was concerned with the role expectations held for the position of assistant superintendent in charge of instruction by the incumbents of the focal position, superintendents, and principals; and the assistant superintendents' perceptions of the expectations of superintendents and principals. The purpose of the study was three-fold: 1) to determine the degree of intraposition consensus, or agreement, within the three role-defining groups regarding their expectations for the behavior of the assistant superintendent; 2) to determine whether or not there were significant differences among the three role-defining groups regarding their expectations for the behavior of the assistant superintendent; and 3) to determine whether or not there were significant differences between the assistant superintendents' perceptions of the expectations of superintendents and principals and the expectations expressed by assistant superintendents, superintendents, and principals. The study was based upon data collected from 41 superintendents, 50 assistant superintendents, 86 secondary school principals, and 224 elementary school principals. A comprehensive role norm inventory consisting of 71 role norm statements was used to identify respondents' expectations and perceptions regarding the relationship of the position of assistant superintendent to that of superintendent and principal. In addition to posing two questions dealing with intraposition consensus, the study projected fourteen hypotheses. These hypotheses were related to the problem of interposition consensus regarding the expectations of the role-defining groups, and to the relationship of the assistant superintendents' perceptions to their own expectations and to the expectations of superintendents and principals. The level of intraposition consensus for each of the role-defining groups was found to range from an almost complete lack of consensus to almost complete consensus depending upon the particular role norm in question. All role-defining groups exhibited a higher level of intraposition consensus regarding how assistant superintendents should act toward superintendents than they did regarding how assistant superintendents should act toward principals. Intraposition consensus was also higher on dependent behavior role norms than on independent behavior role norms. Perception errors on the part of assistant superintendents occurred more frequently when predicting the expectations of superintendents and principals for the appropriate behavior of assistant superintendents toward principals, than was the case when predicting the expectations of superintendents and principals for appropriate behavior toward superintendents. Assistant superintendents were found to perceive superintendents and principals as having expectations similar to their own expectations for the behavior of the assistant superintendent. In those instances where statistically significant differences occurred between the expectations of one role-defining group and those of another, these differences occurred most often on role norms dealing with assistant superintendents' behavior toward principals. While statistically significant differences occurred on individual role norms, the expectations of superintendents for the behavior of assistant superintendents did not differ significantly with the expectations of principals on 83 per cent of the role norms included in the inventory. statistically, significant differences were found on only four role norms when the expectations of secondary school principals were compared with those of elementary school principals. When the expectations of assistant superintendents were compared with the expectations of superintendents, statistically significant differences were found on only nine role norms. Thus, the expectations of these two groups were similar for 87.3 per cent of all role norms. The expectations of assistant superintendents were found to differ significantly from those of all principals on nine role norms. Again, the expectations of these two groups were similar for 87.3 per cent of all role norms. Thus, the findings of the study supported the hypothesized relationship that assistant superintendents, superintendents, and principals hold similar expectations for the role of the assistant superintendent. / Adviser: John E. Suttle

Indiscipline in schools has been so pervasive that in many instances, learning and teaching have become difficult, if not impossible. There are so many reports of indiscipline in schools that school authorities are continuously trying to find solutions to this catastrophic phenomenon. It is believed that the lack of discipline in schools is a major contributing factor to the failure rate and poor performance of learners. The purpose of the study is to investigate whether indiscipline in township schools has a negative impact on the performance of learners in those schools. There are reports that there is an unacceptable and ruinous level of indiscipline therein. The targeted participants in the research are principals and educators from five senior secondary schools of KwaNobuhle Township, Uitenhage. The participants were purposely selected because of their many years of teaching experience and working with learners. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to collect data from participants. Data collection instruments consisted of interviews done with participants and questionnaires filled in by the aforementioned stakeholders. This evidence showed that there are many learning and teaching hours lost due to direct indiscipline and dealing with discipline. This subsequently renders learning and teaching ineffective. It is obvious that, once teaching and learning is ineffective, this will, definitely result in the poor performance of learners and high rate of failure. The study recommends that serious and urgent steps must be taken to minimize or eradicate the menace of indiscipline in these schools as soon as possible. Indiscipline cannot be ignored or taken lightly because there are already so many other structural misfortunes in the education system that are stumbling blocks to the academic achievements of township learners, namely, socio-economic conditions, crime, drugs, alcohol and unemployment. As long as discipline is a problem in the township schools, learners will perpetuate to perform poorly and the failure rate in these schools will rise.

In the last half century the way to full self-development has become intimately bound up with the acquisition of an ever-lengthening formal education. Moreover, the successful operation of a democratic system demands a thinking people. Concern for the welfare of people on social assistance implies the promotion of equality of educational opportunity for their children. Failure to do so is both a betrayal of responsibility and a neglect of human resources which we can ill afford. The school dropout has been singled out as the object of a great deal of publicity in North America in recent years. Although numerous studies have been undertaken to identify the characteristics of school dropouts, few studies have dealt specifically with this problem as it is found in families in receipt of social assistance. The present study looks at the complex network of interacting forces: social, economic and educational, affecting these families and attempts to identify those factors which seem significant to school persistence. Illustrations of the way in which these various forces actually do combine to encourage early school withdrawal in public assistance families are cited. Two hundred and ninety families having children between the ages of 13 and 21 were selected from the public assistance caseload in one area of Vancouver. Information regarding age, length of time on assistance, and family composition were obtained from assistance application forms. A sample of 27 families having children between the ages of 15 and 21 were selected for interviewing. The interview schedules were designed to obtain specific items of information from the parents, the eldest child still in school and the eldest dropout and/or graduate, wherever they occurred. Analysis of these interviews shows that families on social assistance do not form a homogeneous group in their attitudes toward school continuance. The proportion of dropouts in public assistance families appears to be substantially higher than for the general population. School experience and parental motivation were found to be important factors in determining school persistence. Factors which were seen to be operative in determining the level of family motivation were feelings about receiving social assistance, parental attitudes to education, mobility, intra-familial relationships, health and social relationships. There was a group of students whose prospects of graduating could have been materially improved by a higher level of family income and a more encouraging approach by the school or the Social Service Department. There are disturbing indications that neither the school system nor other social resources are a sufficient counterforce to offset negative parental attitudes in families on public assistance. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

[No abstract submitted] / Education, Faculty of / Graduate

Recent work has shown that many state supported school counseling programs have not developed working statewide program evaluation schemas. This study examined two exemplary examples of state level program evaluation. Mixed-method case studies were created and then analyzed across cases to reveal common themes and best practices. The findings indicated that these cases were able to build statewide evaluation capacity within very different contexts.

This study tested the hypothesis that “SuperLeaders” impact other leaders. Thirty-two Superintendents and Principals from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts participated in this study. Superintendents were nominated by their peers as demonstrating “SuperLeadership” characteristics according to (Manz, 1996). Each superintendent completed a Superintendents' SuperLeadership Style Inventory. This was a 48 item self-rating questionnaire regarding their SuperLeadership Style. Responses to the questionnaire range from (Definitely not true – to Definitely true). These correlated at 1. Principals received the following instrument: The Principal Perception of their Superintendent SuperLeadership Style Inventory, a Job Satisfaction Inventory (JDI), a Principal Job Efficacy, and Principal Job Effectiveness instruments. In order to perform data analysis, pairs were formed to include a Superintendent and Principal from the same school districts. The data results show that there was no direct correlation between Superintendents' SuperLeadership Style and their Principals' perception of their Style influencing principals' behavior. There was a direct correlation between Job Effectiveness and Job Efficacy. This demonstrated a 30% shared variance between the two variables Job Effectiveness and Job Efficacy, and it suggests that the higher a Principal's performance, the higher the level of efficacy the Principal style does not differ whether they were grouped in the high, middle or low group. However, there was significant statistical difference in how the Principals perceived their Superintendents' SuperLeadership Styles among the three groups. The results also show no statistical differences in their ratings of Principals' Job Self Efficacy and Job Effectiveness. However, regarding Job Satisfaction as measured by Supervision and People at Work, there was a statistical difference. The results do show that according to Principal self-rating that Superintendents with SuperLeadership characteristics can have employee who will have greater job effectiveness, greater job self-efficacy, and higher job satisfaction. Leadership skills can be acquired when a person studies, understands or engages in the various elements of this model. When incorporated into an individual's leadership role, these yield the greatest effectiveness. While the aforementioned statement addresses a work environment, this does not preclude leaders' development in home or family situations, and or its impact on personal relationships. Effective leaders understand that empowerment of subordinates to develop a strong sense self-leadership has its cost and its benefits. The benefits may be stronger task commitment, increased opportunities for leadership development, reduced administrative cost, and better customer service. On the other hand, the cost could decrease productivity when agreeable objectives and priorities are not clearly defined. In essence, SuperLeadership and its constructs are useful for practical purposes that can be used to enhance a person's life. In regards to Training and Development, it is estimated that organizations spend an enormous amount of money on leadership training—$3.5 billion, according to ASTD www.astd.org. While training may vary from one organization to the next, Super-Leadership and its constructs can be used as a fundamental component in Management Development training and for organizational effectiveness. It can be also be customized for the following areas to yield the greatest optimal performance: Superintendents' training, Principal training, Managerial training, Parent Effectiveness training, Life Skills training, Counselor Education training, Teacher training, Executive Coaching, and Career Development. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Interpretations of the causes of famine vary according to the political philosophy or to be more implicit the political ideology of the observer. This study explored the various interpretations and perceptions of famine along the spectrum of ideologies. These include classical economists and neo-classical economists such as Adam Smith, demographic theorists such as Malthus, the famous proponent of the population explosion theory, and the Marxist perspective of the theory of labor value and the capitalist appropriation of the ownership and distribution of wealth. Also, Amartya Sen's concept of entitlement and the postmodern approach to famine will be examined. In a stark contrast to the western intellectual aberration and the observer approach is the victim/sufferer's approach to famine. Despite the fatalistic attitude embedded in both secular and religious societies that is prevalent in the daily lives of the rural populace, there is a strong cyclical and erratic concepts engrained in the indigenous culture. The first chapter dealt with the indigenous coping mechanisms of famine, the quick fixes approaches of the western concepts of crisis management rendered during the famines of 1970's and 80's, in Africa were criticized and the danger of that approach in further eroding the capacity of societies in coping with famine was discussed. Also, indigenous survival strategies will be discussed at length. The final chapter of this document will focus on the economic constraints envisaging the African continent and the factors augumenting to these underdeveloping trends. Obviously, emphasis will be made on redirecting development discourse and the deconstruction of famine. This will highlight the erroneous western and donor agencies' approach to the international development discourse and the imperative acknowledgement of the indigenous knowledge and the peasant centered development. In the case of recent famine in Somalia, war preceded famine, and in many cases according to tradition in all ages famine was mostly caused by wars in the past histories. Surrender or starve is the slogan for most of the recent famines to siege or blockade the enemy as a tactic developed by the warring factions in either governments at war or in civil wars like Somalia. The siege of Paris in 1871 and the siege of Leningrad in 1942 are all examples of the role of war to starve the enemy. The phenomenon of “scorched earth” as in the case of Somalia is another important factor to lay waste to many communities and starve them to death. Similarly in the case of civil wars, its mere presence exacerbated the nature of starvation and turned it to famine. War interrupts the activities of peasants to sow and harvest and worst of all, communities loose manpower to civil wars imposed on them either voluntarily or involuntarily. War disrupts the communication and transportation systems and even relief operations at times.

Supervision has arguably been one of the most heavily debated and well-researched topics in education. By 1994, 47 states had made some form of recommendation regarding supervision and evaluation and their links to student achievement. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of classroom teachers and supervisors to better understand supervision and evaluation. Specifically, the study sought to describe the perceptions of teachers and supervisors regarding their current and ideal teacher supervisory system, the differences between teachers' and supervisors' perceptions of current and ideal supervisory practices, and any variation that exists between public, private/non-religious, and religious schools regarding perceptions of ideal and current systems. A questionnaire consisting of 43 closed response items and three open response questions was distributed with 345 teachers and 58 supervisors responding. The results of this study indicate that there was a significant difference between teachers' and supervisors' perceptions of supervision on the current scale in the areas of clinical supervision, mentoring, use of a variety of observation methods, the relationship between the teacher and supervisor characterized by trust and collaboration, and teachers being a part of the process of developing the methods by which they are supervised. The supervisor reported a higher mean in all cases. The study revealed congruence on the ideal scale between teachers and supervisors with both groups indicating that effective supervision consists of a collaborative approach involving a variety of models as well as more frequent visitations and a more trusting and open relationship between the supervisor and teacher. Lastly there was a significant difference between school types in the areas of the differentiated supervision models, clearly articulated performance standards, and teachers being a part of the process of developing the methods by which they are supervised.