Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

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Open Access Dissertation

Keywords

School superintendents--Rating of--Iowa; School superintendents--Iowa--Case studies;

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory case study was to identify and describe one Iowa public school district's superintendent performance evaluation process. This study explored the perceptions of one superintendent and one school board of directors in regard to the purposes, criteria, sources of information, and general effectiveness of their superintendent performance evaluation process.

The study was conducted in an urban K-12 public school district in northeastern Iowa. Factors considered in the selection of the school district included: size, location, demographics, as well as the willingness of the participants ta have their voices heard through the researcher. Also, the district was incorporating a system in which feedback would be solicited from many stakeholders in an effort to enhance the effectiveness of the established evaluation process. A qualitative case study research design was utilized which included data collection from a survey, interviews with the participants, observations of interactions, and archival records.

The significant research questions considered in this study are:

  1. What are the purposes of the superintendent's evaluation as perceived by the superintendent and the board members?
  2. What criteria should be utilized in the evaluation process as perceived by the superintendent and the board members?
  3. How does the use of multiple sources of information or 360 degree feedback impact the board members' rating of the superintendent?
  4. Does the use of multiple sources of information or 360 degree feedback result in the board providing the superintendent a more detailed and directional plan for professional growth of the superintendent? If so, in what ways?
  5. Does the use of multiple sources of information or 360 degree feedback impact the importance of the evaluation as perceived by the superintendent? If so, why?
  6. How does the use of multiple sources of information or 360 degree feedback impact the overall effectiveness of the superintendent evaluation process as perceived by the superintendent and board members?

Findings indicate that the predominant benefits of incorporating 360 degree feedback into the superintendent's evaluation process were enhanced communication between the superintendent and the board members regarding job performance, job expectations, and the collaborative effort needed to improve student achievement. Although the evidence indicates that the board members' ratings of the superintendent's performance were not significantly impacted by the 360 feedback, the board members and the superintendent perceived that the evaluation process was more effective.

Year of Submission

1998

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Department of Educational Administration and Counseling

First Advisor

David K. Else, Chair

Date Original

7-1998

Object Description

1 PDF file (vii, 227 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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