The effect of the building administrator's leadership behavior and parental involvement on student achievement in the areas of reading and mathematics in middle schools of a metropolitan school system

• Main Author: Robinson, Barbara Lockhart
• Format: Others
• Published: DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center 1989
• Subjects: Education; Educational Administration and Supervision; Education Policy
• Online Access: http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/2283; http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3739&context=dissertations

This study described the relationship between leadership behavior, parental involvement and student achievement in the areas of reading and mathematics in focus middle schools. A questionnaire designed by Bell South Laboratories was used to elicit teachers' perceptions of their principal's behavior in the areas of discipline, climate, communications, community relations, and instructional leadership. The instrument was field tested by a panel of experts whose feedback was used to improve the instrument. Information relative to parental involvement was secured from Board of Education minutes outlining the number of parents who join the PTA and the number of parents who volunteer in the school. Analysis of the data was made by using the Pearson (r) to determine if a relationship existed between the variables. Table values were used to determine the significance of the Pearson r. The statistical tools were utilized to test the 14 null hypothesis in the study. The following significant findings of the study are that: 1.There were significant relationships found between the variables of climate and reading and mathematics, community relations and reading and mathematics, communications and reading and mathematics, PTA and reading and mathematics, volunteers and reading and mathematics. 2. The relationships found crossed focus boundaries. 3. There were non-significant relationships found between discipline and reading and instructional leadership and mathematics. 4. The relationships for non-significant relationships cross focus boundaries. 5. The study revealed that focus status was neither an issue in teachers' perceptions of the principal's behavior, nor was it an issue in the variable of parental involvement.