An Analysis of Teachers' Assessments of Elementary Principals' Performance.

This study sought to examine the relationships, if any, between selected teacher demographic data and teachers' assessments of their principals' performance. A secondary purpose was to determine if a profile of principals' behaviors could be developed utilizing teachers' assessments. If, statistically, it could be found that teachers' assessments were not biased by the demographic data, it could be reasoned that these assessments would be a "fair" description of the performance of principals in this study. The samples included principals in twenty-two r and omly selected urban elementary schools and their teaching staffs. Two hundred fifty seven teachers responded to a 64-item instrument, the Principal Performance Description Survey-Teacher Form developed by Ellett and Payne (1977). The instrument measures teachers' perceptions of the frequency and effectiveness with which their principals peform certain school-related tasks in four functional areas of responsibility. Demographic data were obtained from a Supplementary Teacher Respondent Profile Sheet developed by the researcher. Major findings revealed that variables such as teachers' age, level of professional training, major, years in the profession, years in current school, and school's socioeconomic status were not significant factors in how teachers perceived their principals' performance. Significant differences did occur in teachers' assessments when teachers' sex was matched with principals of the same sex or of the opposite sex. Other findings revealed significant differences between (1) married and single teachers' assessments of principals' effectiveness in certain areas; (2) teachers' assessments in schools with low and high pupil mobility rates; and (3) teachers who did and did not desire a transfer from their school. Significant variability among teacher groups precluded the development of a single, reliable profile to describe the principals' performance. A grid approach presented a vivid picture of the performance of each of the twenty-two principals in the study and might serve as one type of need assessment methodology in the improvement of principals' performance.PhDEducational administrationUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/158621/1/8204635.pd