School principals

The problem. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived role
of the principal in collective negotiations as viewed by elementary and
secondary teachers, elementary and secondary principals, superintendents,
and school board members in Florida. Conclusions. 1. Educators with different employment responsibilities have
different perceptions of the principal's role in negotiations.
2. Educators with similar job responsibilities, in different
areas of the state, have similar perceptions of the principal's role
in negotiations.
3. Superintendents have formulated the strongest opinions of
the role of the principal in negotiations as indicated by generally
more extreme scores than characterized the other employment categories.
4. Instructional level (i.e., elementary or secondary) has no
significant effect on the perceptions of teachers or principals concerning
the principal's role in negotiations.

Research has shown that most school leaders lack the knowledge necessary to deal with the many different aspects and issues that special education programs encompass. This lack of knowledge ultimately places special education teachers, programs, and students with disabilities at a clear disadvantage. With The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 and the reauthorization of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) in 2004, schools and school leaders are being held accountable for the learning gains of all students, including students with disabilities. This study sought to assess the knowledge of Florida school principals in the area of special education policies and procedures through survey administration. In addition, the survey was designed to establish the method by which school principals purport to have learned the majority of special education policies and procedures. Social justice as defined by Adams, Bell, and Griffin (1997) and ethical reasoning in educational leadership, developed and defined by Shapiro and Stefkovich (2005) were chosen as the conceptual framework with which to guide the design and analysis of the study. These underlying sets of ideas were used to help recognize the many inequalities that have hindered education for a variety of students, including those with disabilities (Lashley, 2007). FIndings of this study demonstrate the level of knowledge practicing administrators in Florida possess, the methods by which they acquired that knowledge, and the dire need for this knowledge under new state mandated reform initiatives.

This study examined the issue of school size and the potential impact that school size has on the leadership behaviors of principals. Contextual factors were also considered as potential moderators of the relationship between transformational/ transactional/laissez-faire leadership behavior and school size. Data were collected and analyzed using quantitative methods. A survey was conducted based on a chosen model to gather the data. Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) surveys were distributed electronically to school staff in elementary and middle schools in Sunshine County, Florida for input regarding their principal's behavior. Using one-way and two-way analysis of variance tests for the main and moderating factors, the survey results indicated that while the main effect of size has no direct impact on principal leadership behavior, contextual factors (socio-economics, principal gender, and principal experience) do moderate the relationship between specific transformational principal leadership behaviors and school size.