A dissertation completed at The Center for Education, Widener University, One University Place, Chester, PA 19013
A STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP, TEACHER INTERACTION, AND SCHOOL CLIMATE ON THREE YEARS OF PENNSYLVANIA SYSTEM OF SCHOOL ASSESSMENT TEST DATA James Cantwell, Ed. D. March 19, 2003
RETURN edited 11/13/03

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of principal leadership behavior, teacher interaction behavior, school climate, and three years of fifth grade Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) test data. Successful and unsuccessful schools were defined as those schools that achieved in the upper or lower quartile of their unique set of 20 'similar schools' with the same community type and percent low- income students for three years (1999, 2000, and 2001) in both math and reading.

A search of 1702 public elementary and middle schools was conducted and exactly 100 schools met the criteria for this study: 55 'upper band' schools and 45 'lower band' schools. Seventy schools from fifty-seven school districts agreed to participate: 37 upper band schools and 33 lower band schools. A total of 383 teachers and 70 principal represented return rates of 92% and 100%, respectively. Participants completed Hoy and Tarter's (1997) forty-two item organizational Climate Description Questionnaire for Elementary Schools - Revised Edition (OCDQ-RE).

This survey instrument measured three Specific dimensions of principal leadership behavior, three Specific dimensions of teacher behavior, and two general dimensions of school climate. Participants also completed a survey that collected information on 33 individual, school, and district variables. Twelve research questions investigated teachers' and principals' perception of principal leadership behaviors, teacher interaction behaviors, and school climate. Upper band teachers perceived these factors significantly different than teachers of lower band schools. There were no significant differences in the perceptions of upper band principals and lower band principals. There was concordance with the perceptions of upper band teachers and principals. There was discordance with perceptions of lower band teachers and principals. A step-wise multiple regression analysis was conducted and determined that only one of 31 independent variables predicted three years of fifth-grade PSSA math and reading scores: teacher perception of school climate.

The results confirm that there is a significant relationship between principal leadership, teacher interaction, school climate, and student achievement on the PSSA. Based on these findings, a discussion of the Governor's Incentive Award program, which rewards 'value added' performance and a proposed incentive system based on a school's record of achievement relative to its set of 20 similar schools is provided.

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