The study was designed to identify the information sources utilized by school board members to secure factual data and background information essential to the making of decisions; to discover the perceived degree of satisfaction with information sources so identified; and to identify other sources of information with potential for providing a knowledge base to school board members. The study population included presidents of Indiana boards of school trustees who held membership in the Indiana School Boards Association during 1973.Specifically, the study was designed to:1. Identify sources of information utilized by school board members to gain needed data and/or facts essential to support decision-making in selected areas.2. Determine the degree of satisfaction with information sources utilized as perceived by school board members.3. Identify the various factors and/or conditions which tend to restrict or hamper more complete utilization of available information sources by board members.4. Secure suggestions as to how information services currently available through identified sources and agencies might be more adequately and completely utilized.5. Secure suggestions relative to possible additional information sources and agencies through which helpful and needed information and data should or might be made available.Data for the study were secured by means of a questionnaire instrument relative to six problem areas of common concern to Indiana school districts. Out of the291 questionnaires sent a total of 49 questionnaires were returned, initially. A follow-up letter was sent to all study population members regarding responses. A total of five questionnaires were returned from the follow-up. Thus, a total of 54 questionnaires were received. Review of research revealed no studies dealing directly with information sources identified as used by school board members. As a result, none of the instruments utilized in closely related studies were considered appropriate for use in the current study. An information gathering instrument was designed especially for the study utilizing the ten step criteria by Hillway for instrument construction. Validation of the questionnaire instrument was accomplished through field testing. The instrument was refined into final form following field testing procedures. The data were presented as raw responses, as percentages relative to the relationship between the mentioned frequency responses and the "N" number of total responses, and as weighted satisfaction means. Utilization o f weighted satisfaction means permitted the quality and value of each main identified information source to be determined regarding each of the six areas of concern.A summary of findings was organized concerning the six problem areas of common concern and the information obtained relative to the five specific aspects of the study.Study Findings1. Boards of education have need for in-depth information.2. Depending upon the type of problem faced by school board members, many governmental, public, industrial, and social agencies are utilized as information sources.3. Problems of specialized concern to board members may require specialized information sources.4. In terms of use and reported value of information some sources are consistently utilized regardless of the problem. Three such sources were the Superintendent, Indiana School Boards Association, and Professional Journals and Magazines.5. Though widely used, Mass Media was lacking in creditability, and information, when finally received, was too fragmented and too late to provide information of use to boards of education.6. Two general restricting factors for obtaining information were a lack of accurate information and difficulties involved in securing dependable information at the time needed.7. The need to improve upon fiscal responsibility relative to new programs or modifications of current programs exists at the state education level.8. State agencies need to improve channels of communication relative to supervising and coordinating programs for local school districts.9. An apparent need exists for improvement of relationships between Legislators and the Indiana State Department of Public Instruction.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/179196 |
| Date | January 1975 |
| Creators | O'Dell, Rober |
| Contributors | Strom, Merle T. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | vii, 135 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
| Coverage | n-us-in |
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