Date of Award

8-1-2006

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the ratings of the performance of elementary school principals when evaluated by supervisors, certified staff, classified staff, peers, and the principals themselves. Statistical tests were used to determine significant difference between these constituent groups on the nine Educational Leadership Profile dimensions which include Leadership Attributes, Visionary Leadership, Community Leadership, Instructional Leadership, Data-Driven Improvement, Organization to Improve Student Learning, Organization to Improve Staff Efficacy, Cultural Competence, and Education Management. The nine ELP dimensions were also compared against the following independent variables: gender of participants, participant familiarity with the principal, school enrollment, principal experience, and principal gender. This study included 447 participants that included 24 elementary principals, 19 supervisors, 32 peers, 216 certified staff, 68 classified staff, and 88 parents from the slate of North Dakota A second purpose was to add research regarding principal evaluation, as there is a severe lack of effective principal assessment and evaluation procedures.

First, a multivariate analysis was used to determine significance in the overall set of variables. Second, a univariate analysis was used to determine significance between the independent variables and the nine ELF dimensions. Third, if needed, an Honestly Significant Difference (USD) analysis was used to determine significance between independent variables in ELP dimensions showing significant differences.

Overall, supervisors rated the elementary principals the highest while the elementary principals rated themselves the lowest. The more participants were familiar with the elementary principal, the higher they rated the principal. The more experience the principal obtained, the higher their rating. Leadership Attributes was rated the highest out of the nine ELP dimensions while Cultural Competence was rated the lowest. Female principals scored higher than the male principals in eight of the nine ELP dimensions. The ELP can be used as an administrator assessment providing a 360-degree evaluation of principals; however, it should be only one part of the administrative evaluation process. Each district and principal has certain needs and goals. The evaluation should incorporate these needs and goals to improve principal performance.

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