Rothberg, Robert A.

The purpose of this study was to describe the implications
and impact of impartial due process procedures on planning,
programming and staffing by exceptional student education
divisions within the Florida school system. A questionnaire
was developed by the author, and validated by three
directors of exceptional student education. Items for
the questionnaire were drawn from the literature related to
the effects of P.L. 94-142 on departments of special education.
The questionnaire was distributed to the sixty-seven
directors of exceptional student education in Florida. There
were fifty respondents, or a 75 percent return .
Tables were developed to indicate the percentage
of responders within each category on the questionnaire.
Tables of rank order were developed to detail types of
problems encountered by responders, solutions utilized by
responders, and particulars of policy changes and staff
development plans. In summary, this study provided data which
indicated the areas of impact and concern to directors of
exceptional student education in Florida. General and
specific recommendations for remediation strategies are
outlined.

This study examined job satisfaction as it affected principals of large and small high schools and middle/junior high schools on the dimensions of work, pay, promotion, supervision, and co-workers. More specifically, 125 principals in selected school districts of Central Florida were asked to complete the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) to determine if there is a difference in the levels of satisfaction among and between the levels of principalship and size of school. The statistically significant conclusions drawn from the data were: (1) Principals of large schools were more satisfied than principals of small schools on the dimension of promotion. (2) Principals of large middle/junior high schools were more satisfied on the dimensions of promotion, supervision, and co-workers than principals of small middle/junior high schools. (3) Principals of large middle/junior high schools were more satisfied on the supervision dimension than those of large high schools. (4) Principals of small high schools were more satisfied than principals of small middle/junior high schools on the promotion and co-worker dimensions. Perhaps the most important conclusion drawn from this research is that principals at all levels in large and small schools alike are more satisfied with those dimensions of the job over which they have some control and that pertain to interpersonal relations--co-workers, supervision, and the work itself--and are least satisfied with those dimensions over which they have little or no control--pay and promotion.

This study investigated the perceptions of administrators, citizens, teachers, and teacher educators in three counties in Central Florida on selected current issues in public education. The research also compared the perceptions from the sample groups in three differing counties. Members of each of the groups, administrators, citizens, teachers, and teacher educators were to express their opinion to sixty selected statements on twelve current issues in public education. The groups were asked to rank the issues and grade the public schools in their community. The survey questionnaire was administered to 1,262 participants, selected randomly from the three counties. One hundred and seven administrators, 116 citizens representing lay advisory councils, 1,022 teachers, and 17 teacher educators responded to the survey. The questionnaire contained sixty statements on the following current issues in public education: discipline, administrative leadership in the schools, teacher salaries, paperwork for educators, teacher evaluation, "back to basics" movement, financing public education, class size, schools being the cure-all for societal problems, stress and burnout, staff development and inservice for educators, and interest of parents, students, and teachers in public schools. Using a Likert scale of "strongly agree", "agree", "undecided", "disagree", and "strongly disagree", respondents indicated their perception of the statements about the issues. The chi square test of independence was the statistical method used to determine significant differences in the study population. Conclusions drawn from the survey indicated significant differences of perceptions by administrators, citizens, teachers, and teacher educators on forty-nine of the sixty statements on selected current issues in public education. Significant differences occurred between Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties on fifteen of the sixty statements on selected current issues in public education. Administrators, citizens, and teachers by level of position (elementary, middle/junior, high school, and district) responded with significant differences on forty-seven of the sixty statements on selected current issues in public education. Differences were indicated in ranking the most important issues by the groups. The groups graded the schools between a B or "good" and C or "average" on the quality of education.

The purpose of this study was the development of a teacher
education center evaluation instrument. Items for the instrument
were drawn from the literature related to effective inservice education.
This item pool was refined and validated using two sequential
juries of experts consisting of Florida teacher education center directors,
university contact persons, Florida Department of Education
personnel and members of the State Council for Teacher Education
Centers. The evaluation instrument was designed using a four point
Likert type rating scale. The instrument was distributed to 500
school personnel in three Florida county school districts by the
On-Site Review of Master Inservice Plan Visiting Teams. The three
counties were selected to provide a cross section of teacher education
center counties in Florida. There were 335 respondents, or a
67 percent return. The following conclusions were based upon the analysis of
data:
1. The teacher education center evaluation instrument proved
to be reliable, the alpha coefficients for the field testing being
acceptable
2. The teacher education center evaluation instrument proved
to have construct validity, the components being easily interpreted
using the principal components evaluation
3. The teacher education center evaluation instrument proved
to have content validity, having a positive judgmental rating by the
respondents
4. The four major components of teacher education center
evaluation--decision-making, relationship to the program of the
school, commitment to teacher education, resources--proved to be
easily interpreted in each county of the field testing.
In summary, this study provided statistical data which indicated
that the teacher education center evaluation instrument
developed was reliable, as noted within the limitations of the study,
and that it had content and construct validity. Possibilities for
future research were outlined.

The purpose of this study was to compare the locus of
control orientation between regular class and selfcontained
emotionally handicapped students within the
elementary, middle and high school settings. Two samples
of students were selected from the third through eleventh
grades of the Seminole County school system using a
randomized block design . One group consisted of sixty
students enrolled within the self- contained program for
the emotionally handicapped from elementary, middle and
high school classes. A second group of sixty regular
class students were selected from the same schools. The
Nowicki- Strickland Locus of Control Scale was administered
to small groups of subjects, out of the classroom, but within the school setting . The mean scores for each
group were analyzed using a 2x3 analysis of variance with
the effects tested at the .05 level of significance across
all levels.
The emotionally handicapped students were found
to be significantly more external than the regular class
students. In addition, both groups exhibited a shift in
locus of control orientation, becoming significantly more
internal as they progressed from elementary to high school.
No significant interaction was found to exist between
regular class and emotionally handicapped students in
elementary, middle and high school. It was concluded
that although the emotionally handicapped students
maintained a more external orientation than the regular
class students, as both groups approached adolescence and
experienced an increased mastery of the environment, there
was a shift towards a more internal locus of control.
However, regardless of the school level involved, the
emotionally handicapped students maintained a more external
orientation.
Since behavior modification procedures have been
shown to foster an internal locus of control orientation,
it was concluded that behavioral techniques would be
effective in the education and treatment of self-contained
emotionally handicapped students. It was further concluded
that the locus of control construct could provide
both teachers and administrators of programs for the emotionally handicapped with valuable information and
insight into the dynamics of the disability. This
knowledge combined with an understanding of behavior
modification principles could prove to be a viable means
of altering unacceptable behavioral patterns, improving
academic performance levels and ultimately result in a
more productive life style for their students.