The purpose of this study was to assess the satisfaction level of public middle school principals in Virginia as measured by the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) and compare it to the earlier 1999 findings of Dr. JoeAnn Newby. The Long-Form of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) was used to determine the levels of job satisfaction for middle school principals in Virginia using twenty dimensions of the job and the following demographic variables: gender, age, experience, education, school location, school population, accreditation status, and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Specifically, this study sought to answer the following 5 questions: (1) What is the general satisfaction level of middle school principals in the state of Virginia as measured by the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ)? (2) Based on the demographic variables of gender, age, degree, experience, school location, and school population what is the general satisfaction level of middle school principals in Virginia? (3) What is the satisfaction level of each of the twenty dimensions of the job as measured by the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ)? (4) Based on the demographic variables of gender, age, degree, experience, school location, and school population, what is the satisfaction level of middle school principals for each of the twenty dimensions of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ)? (5) Based on the demographic variables of accreditation status and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) have the Virginia Standards of Learning and No Child Left Behind legislation influenced the general job satisfaction of middle school principals in Virginia?

The 2006 Virginia Educational Directory was utilized to select the target population of 334 middle school principals. A mailing consisting of an Individual Information Sheet and the 1967 Long Form of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) was mailed to each principal. Demographic data pertaining to gender, age, degree, experience, school location, school population, accreditation status, and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) was collected and compared with the twenty dimensions of the MSQ. Statistical procedures including frequency charts, ANOVAs, and post hoc tests (Scheffe) were utilized to determine the statistical significance of the findings.