The purpose of this study was to investigate organizational communication in elementary schools. In addition, this study was designed to describe the organizational communication patterns found in the selected elementary schools, compare the organizational communication patterns of the schools, and compare these patterns with organizational communication in other settings.

This study was conducted in two elementary schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Both schools housed grades Kindergarten through six. This study used the field study methodology which included participant observation, formal and informal interviews, and the analysis of school documents. The study was guided by five broad areas: 1) channels of communication; 2) flow of communication; 3) basis of communication; 4) frequency of communication; and 5) actors in the communication process. Also, the study was limited to communication between the teachers and other staff members in the building and the principal and all staff members. The study only involved communication which occurred within the school building during school activities.

Based on the data, the following thoughts and conclusions were drawn from this study: l) the nature of communication in elementary schools is distinct from communication in other organizations; 2) upward communication is more frequent than downward communication in elementary school settings; 3) the communication needs of the individual appear to be related to the level of communication satisfaction; 4) both teachers and principals tend to perceive the grapevine as a negative aspect of the communication system; S) communication satisfaction appears to be related to overall job satisfaction; and 6) each school has its own sanctions and mores regarding organizational communication.

Because each school is distinct with regard to organizational communication, it is concluded that additional studies designed to describe organizational communication in elementary schools may not provide any significant information. Therefore, it is recommended that future studies be done which will explore the relationship between organizational communication patterns and individual needs; and the relationship between communication channels, communication roles, and inservice activities in schools.