A status study of classification/salary administration of office support personnel in North Carolina public schools 1985-1987

Abstract

This study investigated the present status of classification/salary administration of office support personnel employed in the public schools of North Carolina. Although this study was limited to office support personnel positions, it had implications for all classified positions within the public schools. The purpose of the study was to provide information and develop recommendations for planning and establishing classification/salary administration policies for classified personnel. The recommendations addressed concerns identified through the review of literature, a questionnaire which was completed by administrators across the state, and interviews with administrators from five school systems. The results from this study indicated that superintendents, more often than other administrators, were responsible for classification/salary administration of office support personnel. The majority of office support personnel were classified in the lowest state classification levels. The criteria most often used for determination of classification levels was matching job description with state job classification level descriptions. The interview and observation methods were the two methods most often used for collecting job classification information. The majority of administrators believed: the local school systems should determine classification status, there should be a standardized performance appraisal instrument, there should be performance-based pay, and salaries of office support personnel were slightly lower than the local business community.

Uniformity issues were perceived to exist both internally with the respective school system and externally by comparison of school systems. As a result of this study, recommendations for school systems to follow in their classification/salary administration policies and procedures for classified personnel were developed. The ultimate aim of these recommendations was to eliminate some of the inconsistencies found to exist.