Award Date

1-1-2008

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

Number of Pages

212

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to develop a composite job description of the duties and responsibilities of the principalship. The study provided current documentation of the legal status of principals as provided for in the state statutes of all fifty states. Further, this study established the extent to which the principal's job functions (duties and responsibilities) are defined legally in relation to the individual performing in the position. Finally, the study advanced suggestions, additions, alterations or deletions in the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) for the purpose of improving the legal status of the principalship in the State of Nevada; Methods of the Study. In order to achieve the purposes of this study, the following procedures were utilized: (1) The job description of the principal provided by the Clark County School District defining the duties and responsibilities of the job was analyzed. (2) Based upon this analysis, the NRS were analyzed to determine the extent to which the NRS provides job descriptions of performance expectations of the principal. (3) From this foundation, the search was expanded to a representative sample of job descriptions from selected school districts in order to develop a more complete list of possible duties and responsibilities. These job descriptions were correlated with six main task areas of administration. (4) State statutes pertaining to education for all fifty states were examined for the purpose of determining the extent to which the duties and responsibilities of the principal were addressed. (5) Based upon the established list of duties and responsibilities from the sample school districts and the search of the state statutes for all fifty states, a list of available legal definitions related to identified duties and responsibilities of principals were developed. (6) Using available legal definitions and descriptions, this author suggested a prototype bill for inclusion in the NRS; Findings. There exists little uniformity in the state statutes of all fifty states in protecting the principal's legal status. Sixteen states have statutes clearly identifying the principal's duties and responsibilities. Nevada Revised Statutes address only three of the twenty tasks identified as representative of the principal's duties and responsibilities; Conclusions. The following conclusions were made from this study: (1) The NRS do not adequately describe the duties and responsibilities of the principal. Although charged with the total operation of the school, the principal's duties and responsibilities are addressed in only NRS 390.230, 391.060, 392.120, 391.210, 391.220, 391.311, 391.340, 392.130, 392.160, 392.450, 392.460 and 392.465. There is no statute entitled, "Principal--Duties and Responsibilities." The job description for principal provided by the Clark County School District was adequate, providing for eleven of the twenty component task areas, while including a statement in each of the six task areas. (2) The state statutes in all fifty states varied greatly. Some school codes provided for the legal identity of the principal. Sixteen states provided separate statutes defining legal identity and addressed many of the task component areas of duties and responsibilities. Some states mentioned the principal often, but did not clearly define his duties and responsibilities. Other states, while including the principal, did not differentiate his status or duties and responsibilities from those of a teacher. There appears to be no consistent pattern of legislation throughout the country.

Keywords

Authority; Legal; Principals; Responsibilities; School

Controlled Subject

School management and organization

File Format

pdf

File Size

9553.92 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

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Rights

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