Motivation and Leadership: A Comparison of Motivation Factors for Pursing a Degree in Education Administration

Abstract:: This manuscript presents findings from a mixed method study that sought to identify the factors that motivate graduate students to pursue a degree in the field of education administration. One hundred sixty-one graduate students from three universities located in Mississippi participated in the study. Participants completed a 10-item survey using a four-point Likert rating scale, ranked a list of motivation factors, and responded to an open-ended question to provide data for the study. Data were analyzed and disaggregated by age, gender, and race. Findings indicated that the top three reasons for pursuing a degree in education administration are (a) career advancement, (b) impact on students lives, and (c) self-efficacy—perception they can do a great job. Statistically significant differences were found between Black and White groups for two of the ten identified motivating factors—encouraged by others and seeking a pay raise.

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Principal Evaluation and Leadership Standards: Using the ISLLC 2008 “functions” as a Perspective into the Evaluation of Building Principals by New Jersey Chief School Administrators in Suburban School Districts

Abstract:: The primary objective of this project was to provide a more detailed description along with "real time" information to the community of educational administration preparation programs in the State of New Jersey as to what are considered to be the critical elements, skills and competencies current Chief School Administrators (CSA) in the state deem important when evaluating school building leaders. Additionally, the secondary objective was to determine the operational effectiveness of the ISLLC standards as they are understood and applied by New Jersey school superintendents.
Using a quantitative survey design, the results of this descriptive study, based on a limited sample of suburban Chief School Administrators, suggest that, in general, suburban CSAs believe that student and staff safety, child advocacy, strategic planning, ethical behavior, collaboration, trust building, nurturing learning and instruction, sustaining high expectations, maintaining and sustaining family relationships and understanding the legal aspects of decision making are essential elements to be considered when developing summative evaluations for their district’s principals.

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Abstract:: The faculty at Widener University’s School of Human Service Professions Center for Education (CfE) has committed itself to meeting the challenges of preparing education professionals who can lead schools and school districts to higher student achievement. Consequently, we have entered the initial phase of transforming our school leadership certification programs. The purpose of this paper is to describe our initial steps to redesign our educational administration leadership programs to be more responsive to the leadership demands of the 21st century. This paper will focus on five components of that transition and discuss the details and challenges involved with implementing the changes.