Doctoral Dissertations
Date of Award
5-2000
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Major
Education
Major Professor
Mary Jane Connelly, Gary Ubben
Committee Members
Jerry Morrow, Grady Bogue
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a difference between principals' effective leadership practice between high and inadequately performing schools. Educational policy in some states currently assumes a connection and bases principals' rewards or sanctions on student achievement test results.
The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) by Kouzes and Posner(1997) was used to gather information on both principal perception and teacher rating of effective leadership practice in the principalship The LPI identifies five effective leadership practices and provides a score in each of those practices based on both principals Self- reports and Observer- ratings(teachers) The five leadership practice areas defined by the LPI are challenging the process, Inspiring a shared vision, enabling others to act, modeling the way, and encouraging the heart.
The LPI was completed by both principals and teachers in schools from both high and inadequately performing schools(in student achievement testing) In this study, comparisons were made between (1) the two school performance levels and principals, (2) the two school performance levels and teachers, (3) between principals and teachers in high performing schools, and (4)between principals and teachers in inadequately performing schools
No statistically significant relationship was found among principals' Self- report between school performance levels, however a significant correlation was found among teachers' Observer- ratings in the leadership practice, encouraging the heart. This finding was unexpected with respect to the fact that teachers in inadequately performing schools rated their principals higher in this leadership practice than did their counterparts in high performing schools
No statistical significance was found in comparing principals Self- reports to teachers' Observer- ratings in high performing schools, but a statistically significant difference was found between principals and teachers in inadequately performing schools with regard to the effective leadership practice, inspiring a shared vision. Similarly this finding is unexpected with respect to the fact that teachers rated their principals higher than did principals in inadequately performing schools.
The data supports the conclusion that there is little difference in principals' effective leadership practices between high performing or inadequately performing schools as measured by student achievement test scores. Principals in both school performance levels are equally engaged in effective leadership practices. Further study is warranted regarding the many factors impacting student achievement tests and the multiple dimensions of effective leadership, if principals are to be professionally rewarded or sanctioned based solely on student achievement tests results.
Recommended Citation
Balcerek, Elizabeth Burrell, "Principals' effective leadership practice in high performing and inadequately performing schools. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2000.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/8222