The relationship between rural high school teachers' perceptions of school effectiveness and their level of school involvement

Abstract

The nationwide effort to improve our schools and student achievement through a rebuilding of our educational system has not come without controversy; however, one element that is consistent throughout the research (Carnegie, Holmes, NEA, and the National Governors Association) is that teachers should participate in setting school goals and be accountable for achieving agreed upon standards of performance. This, of course, means a major shift in the current organizational and managerial structure of the school. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between teachers' involvement in decision-making and their perceptions of the effectiveness of the academic programs in their schools. Also, an investigation was made between the relationship of the teachers' demographic characteristics and desired levels of involvement with the levels they reported.