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PRINCIPAL AND PRINCIPALSHIP OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST ACADEMIES IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES

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Date Issued:
1980
Summary:
The purposes of this study were: (1) to determine and analyze the status of the principal and principalship of Seventh-day Adventist academies in the United States with respect to academic and professional training, professional educational experience, professional growth activities, church activities, community activities, personal characteristics, professional status, duties and use of time; (2) to consider requirements which would lead toward general and specific improvement of the status of the principals and principalship; and (3) to offer recommendations for the improvement of the status of the principal and principalship. The major source from which data for the study were obtained was the replies to a fifteen page comprehensive questionnaire received from sixty-six principals of Seventh-day Adventist academies in the continental United States. Findings. Selected findings of the study were: (1) Sixty-four principals (96.9 percent) received their undergraduate training in Seventh-day Adventist colleges or universities. Sixty-four principals (96.6 percent) had earned masters degrees with sixty-one percent choosing educational administration or education as a graduate major. Eight principals reported degrees earned beyond the master's level. Of these eight degrees one was a specialist degree and the remaining seven were doctoral degrees. Seventy percent of the principals had a valid Seventh-day Adventist Administrative Certificate. Twenty-two of the twenty-eight graduate courses in education were recognized by the principals as helpful to them in their work. (2) The typical background of experience of the principals consisted of 10.4 years of educational experience in such areas as junior academy principal, dean of boys, assistant principal, and bible teacher prior to appointment as a principal. The median number of years' experience in the principalship was 4.5. (3) The typical principal was a member of two professional organizations but active participation was slight. Participation in church activities was heavy, but participation in other community activities was light. (4) Seventh-day Adventist educational institutes and professional courses were two professional growth activities in which the principal participated most frequently. (5) The typical principal was 43.8 years of age. The average size of the principal's family was 2.5 children. The median number of years of church membership was 32.0 years. (6) The principal was the chief executive of the governing board and served as secretary to the board. Conclusions. Some of the major conclusions of the study were: (1) The many administrative duties of the position demanded such a large portion of the time of the principal that it was difficult to serve as an effective instructional leader. (2) The over-all work load of the principal was too heavy. The median principal devoted 56.6 hours per week to professional duties. (3) Too much power resides in a few members of the academy board. The principal's security in his position seems to rely too heavily on the chairman of the board. Recommendations. Three major recommendations were: (1) The principal should be chosen from those qualifying for a Seventh-day Adventist Administrative Certificate. (2) The in-service professional growth of the academy principal should be the responsibility of the Union Educational Department. (3) The Union Educational Department should make every effort to acquaint local academy boards with desirable procedures in school administration, duties and responsibilities of the board as a whole, and also duties and responsibilities of the academy principal.
Title: THE PRINCIPAL AND PRINCIPALSHIP OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST ACADEMIES IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES.
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Name(s): MAYDEN, HARRY.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1980
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 211 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The purposes of this study were: (1) to determine and analyze the status of the principal and principalship of Seventh-day Adventist academies in the United States with respect to academic and professional training, professional educational experience, professional growth activities, church activities, community activities, personal characteristics, professional status, duties and use of time; (2) to consider requirements which would lead toward general and specific improvement of the status of the principals and principalship; and (3) to offer recommendations for the improvement of the status of the principal and principalship. The major source from which data for the study were obtained was the replies to a fifteen page comprehensive questionnaire received from sixty-six principals of Seventh-day Adventist academies in the continental United States. Findings. Selected findings of the study were: (1) Sixty-four principals (96.9 percent) received their undergraduate training in Seventh-day Adventist colleges or universities. Sixty-four principals (96.6 percent) had earned masters degrees with sixty-one percent choosing educational administration or education as a graduate major. Eight principals reported degrees earned beyond the master's level. Of these eight degrees one was a specialist degree and the remaining seven were doctoral degrees. Seventy percent of the principals had a valid Seventh-day Adventist Administrative Certificate. Twenty-two of the twenty-eight graduate courses in education were recognized by the principals as helpful to them in their work. (2) The typical background of experience of the principals consisted of 10.4 years of educational experience in such areas as junior academy principal, dean of boys, assistant principal, and bible teacher prior to appointment as a principal. The median number of years' experience in the principalship was 4.5. (3) The typical principal was a member of two professional organizations but active participation was slight. Participation in church activities was heavy, but participation in other community activities was light. (4) Seventh-day Adventist educational institutes and professional courses were two professional growth activities in which the principal participated most frequently. (5) The typical principal was 43.8 years of age. The average size of the principal's family was 2.5 children. The median number of years of church membership was 32.0 years. (6) The principal was the chief executive of the governing board and served as secretary to the board. Conclusions. Some of the major conclusions of the study were: (1) The many administrative duties of the position demanded such a large portion of the time of the principal that it was difficult to serve as an effective instructional leader. (2) The over-all work load of the principal was too heavy. The median principal devoted 56.6 hours per week to professional duties. (3) Too much power resides in a few members of the academy board. The principal's security in his position seems to rely too heavily on the chairman of the board. Recommendations. Three major recommendations were: (1) The principal should be chosen from those qualifying for a Seventh-day Adventist Administrative Certificate. (2) The in-service professional growth of the academy principal should be the responsibility of the Union Educational Department. (3) The Union Educational Department should make every effort to acquaint local academy boards with desirable procedures in school administration, duties and responsibilities of the board as a whole, and also duties and responsibilities of the academy principal.
Identifier: 11761 (digitool), FADT11761 (IID), fau:8692 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Thesis (Educat.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1980.
College of Education
Subject(s): Seventh-Day Adventists--Education--United States
School principals--United States
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/11761
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.