Principals' Perspectives of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 as They Relate to Personnel in a Rural School System

Abstract

The demands of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) increase each year, requiring all students to be proficient in all subjects by 2014. Due to NCLB legislation, schools sense additional pressure to meet national and state standards. This legislation not only expanded the role of the federal government, but it also increased the pressure on schools to demonstrate student achievement. Principals are now examining their personnel and making decisions on their staff members as they implement school-wide reform efforts. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the principals in the era of accountability and the personnel decisions they make in the context of school reform. Furthermore, this study addressed the common issues detailed by principals as they followed the guidelines of NCLB when choosing and retaining highly qualified staff members. In order to accomplish this, principals were questioned on their perspectives of the No Child Left Behind Act and their leadership role with personnel under this era of accountability In this case study, principals were questioned about the way they recruit, hire, mentor, train, and dismiss teachers. Principals were also questioned about the induction of teachers in their schools. The sample consisted of principals in a rural district in a southeastern state. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone [phone]. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]