Dissertation Defenses

Doctoral Dissertation Announcement

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Candidate: Barbara J. June

Degree of: Doctor of Education

Department: Educational Leadership, Research and Technology

Title: Early Childhood Program Director Leadership Characteristics and Program Quality

Committee:
Dr. Patricia Reeves, Chair
Dr. Dennis McCrumb
Dr. Joan Lessen-Firestone

Date: Friday, October 19, 2007 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
3208 Sangren Hall

Abstract:
This phenomenological research study was conducted to explore and describe how the characteristics, traits, and styles of directors, as described and perceived by the teachers, reflect the factors that are currently addressed in the indicators forming the basis for evaluating program quality. Teachers from six sites participated in a survey, questionnaire, and interview to determine director and program profiles. The program quality assessment score was used as a standardized data source.
The data was collected, coded and analyzed to determine the director and program profiles for each of the sites. The director and program data for each site was displayed in the director and program quality profile tables. The profiles were then grouped by program quality assessment scores to establish three range groups. The programs in each grouping were analyzed for agreement and disparity within the director profiles and program profiles created from the four data sources. Next, the analysis focused on the strength of alignment among the descriptions of the directors’ leadership that existed between the program quality range groups.
This study confirmed that a director profile for the high quality ranked programs was feasible. It also confirmed that the programs in other range groups displayed minimal commonalities to warrant program quality range group profiles. The findings of this research study add to the literature by providing a better understanding of the high quality program directors’ profiles of leadership characteristics, traits and styles, as described by the teachers from the high quality programs. In addition, the findings also illustrate how teachers in high quality programs link program quality with the leadership of the director.