Date of Award

Fall 12-9-2014

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

EdD Education Leadership, Management and Policy

Department

Education Leadership, Management and Policy

Advisor

Robert Starratt, Ed.D.

Committee Member

Gerard Babo, Ed.D.

Committee Member

Jan Hammond, Ed.D.

Keywords

middle school, instructional scheduling, teaming, common planning

Abstract

This descriptive study examined to what extent, if any, three school supports (instructional scheduling, teaming, and common planning) are in existence in New York State middle schools. For the purposes of this study, middle schools were defined as schools that contained the grade configurations of 5-8, 6-8, and 7-8. The sample surveyed was comprised of 232 New York State middle school principals in school districts with an average need/resource capacity. Instrumentation for the data collection was through a five-part self-administered online web survey. Demographic data of the participating principals and their school along with the data collected from the research questions were analyzed using descriptive, inferential, and nonparametric statistics. In addition, demographic characteristics and principals’ beliefs regarding these three school supports were also analyzed.

The results indicated that the majority of principals utilize a traditional departmentalized schedule with interdisciplinary and/or single-graded teaming with varying duration and frequencies of team, grade level, and departmental common planning. Statistically significant differences existed between specific principals’ beliefs and grade configuration, school location, and years of principal experience at current school. Implications for practice along with recommendations for future research, policy and practice were also discussed. It was the intent of this researcher that the data collected provides administrators and policymakers with an additional layer of information regarding the use of these three school supports among New York State middle schools and serve as a reference to further understand the extent to which they are being implemented.

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