Browsing by Subject "educational leadership"
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Item The Influence of the Superintendent of Schools on Student Academic Performance(2010-07-14) Hanks, Jeffrey M.The purpose of this study was to model, through structural equation modeling techniques, the relationships among superintendent practices of collaborative goal-setting , establishment of nonnegotiable goals for achievement and instruction, board alignment with and support of district goals, monitoring goals for achievement and instruction, use of resources to support the goals for achievement and instruction, defined autonomy, and student achievement. In this study, 300 Texas public school superintendents responded to a survey that measured their perception of superintendent practices and responsibilities. Data was collected and analyzed using SPSS statistical software. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, and a structural equation model was constructed in EQS. Loadings for each path in the model were analyzed. A CFA analysis, which was intended to test the measurement model of superintendent leadership practices, was conducted. A 50-item survey which was hypothesized to measure the six dimensions of leadership practices was subjected to a The purpose of this study was to model, through structural equation modeling techniques, the relationships among superintendent practices of collaborative goal-setting , establishment of nonnegotiable goals for achievement and instruction, board alignment with and support of district goals, monitoring goals for achievement and instruction, use of resources to support the goals for achievement and instruction, defined autonomy, and student achievement. In this study, 300 Texas public school superintendents responded to a survey that measured their perception of superintendent practices and responsibilities. Data was collected and analyzed using SPSS statistical software. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, and a structural equation model was constructed in EQS. Loadings for each path in the model were analyzed. A CFA analysis, which was intended to test the measurement model of superintendent leadership practices, was conducted. A 50-item survey which was hypothesized to measure the six dimensions of leadership practices was subjected to a CFA. Results indicated that a two-factor structure model has significantly better data-model fit compared with the originally hypothesized six-factor model. A structural equation model was constructed based on the two-factor model and relationships between each latent variable and student performance were analyzed. Results of this study did not reveal a significant relationship between the latent constructs and student performance, as measured by the leadership practices and responsibilities perceived by participating superintendents and the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, a criterion referenced test used in Texas to assess primary and secondary student skills in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies. Research articulates the role and responsibilities of the superintendent as the educational leader of a school district with evidence regarding effective leadership skills within the context of expected job tasks. Research substantiates that when superintendents effectively address specific responsibilities they can have a profound, positive impact on student achievement. Focusing on the implications of the Texas accountability system as a means of defining school performance and the need to evaluate the non-discernable aspects of superintendent leadership, this quantitative study sought to examine the relationship between latent constructs of superintendent leadership and academic achievement.Item The relationship between student performance and leadership practices as perceived by principals and selected site-based decision making (SBDM) committee members of middle schools in Region 5 Education Service Center (ESC), Texas: a cohort study(Texas A&M University, 2007-09-17) Sheppard, Larry ScottThis study, one of four cohort studies, was designed to determine the relationship between student performance and leadership practices as perceived by principals and selected site-based decision making committee members of middle schools in the Region 5 Education Service Center area of Texas. Using the Leadership Practices Inventory developed by Kouzes and Posner, the study compared the perceptions of middle school principals and selected observers regarding leadership practices. These leadership ratings were compared to student achievement for each campus in the study. In addition, the study examined if selected demographic variables impact the perception of leaders and observers in regard to leadership. For schools in this particular study, there was no direct correlation between perceived leadership practices of the principals and student achievement as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) tests. This was true of total LPI scores and also of each individual practice measured by the LPI. The data revealed that principals in the study rated themselves higher as a group than their observers rated them on the LPI. This trend was consistent for the total instrument and for each leadership practice. There were also similarities, however, between the two groups. The practice Model the Way had the highest mean for both groups, while Inspire a Shared Vision and Enable Others to Act were rated lower by both groups of respondents. A researcher-developed questionnaire was used to gather demographic information about each respondent. Years of experience, age group, gender, and ethnicity were all studied to determine if they had any effect on responses. The results indicate that there were some differences when principals and observers were studied separately, but these differences were minimized when the two groups were combined. Of particular interest was the fact that younger principals and less experienced principals rated themselves more conservatively than their older and more experienced colleagues. Younger observers and less experienced observers, however, had a propensity to rate their leader high when compared to older observers and more experienced observers. Neither ethnicity nor gender had an impact on leader ratings.