Theses/Dissertations - Educational Leadership
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Item An examination of leadership development strategies of fast-growth public-school districts in Texas.(2020-02-05) Rockwood, Michael Kenneth, 1982-; Wilson, John E. (Professor)The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (LCISD) hires over a dozen campus administrators annually. This has created a repetitive struggle to find internal candidates who are effectively prepared to fill these leadership vacancies. Over a 3-year period (2015–2016 through 2017–2018), LCISD hired a total of 65 campus administrators. It is the opinion of the researcher and LCISD leadership that the qualifications of candidates could be improved by implementing strategies to identify and develop future campus administrators from within the system. The purpose of this study was to determine the leadership development strategies utilized by high-performing, fast-growth public-school districts in Texas to inform and advance a leadership development program within LCISD. The researcher concentrated on a purposive sample of 4 public- school districts—including LCISD—that had implemented leadership development programs and received an overall academic performance rating of A or B on the Texas Accountability Rating System in 2018. These districts also had student enrollment above 30,000 and enrollment growth over the previous 5 years of at least 10%, or a net increase of 3,500 or more students. This purposive sample was selected to be uniquely representative of LCISD based on performance, enrollment size, and growth characteristics. The researcher used a series of focus group dialogues designed to obtain thoughts and perceptions on leadership development programming in a permissive, nonthreatening environment. The focus group dialogues included a total of 20 district-level administrators from the 4 participant school districts, who each had significant experience in designing, implementing, or overseeing leadership development programming. Fifteen final themes emerged from this qualitative study. These themes included: a) principal development programs, b) assistant principal development programs, c) diversified development opportunities, d) leader standards, e) stakeholder input, f) culture of feedback, g) continuous program development, h) external input, i) mentoring and coaching, j) contextual considerations, k) crucial conversations, l) time constraints, m) leadership equity, n) candidate quality, and o) employee retention. Findings revealed in this research may advise practitioners in high-performing, fast-growth public-school districts on how to develop and implement effective leadership development programs.Item Assistant principal burnout : a quantitative non-experimental correlational investigation of burnout theory and well-being theory to address burnout in assistant principals.(2022-02-25) Harris, April R., 1985-; Carpenter, Bradley W.Assistant principals play a critical role in developing the climate and culture of a campus, and over the last three decades they have become an integral part of the aggregate known as educational leadership (Hausman et al., 2002, p. 136). Unfortunately, they are suffering from job stress and burnout from a lack of a clearly defined job roles, creating strenuous working environments and work overload. This issue, if gone unaddressed, can potentially create retention issues for educational systems and mental/physical ailments in these individuals. For this reason, I chose to conduct a quantitative non-experimental correlational survey study to determine whether correlations existed between the major concepts of the burnout theory and well-being theory in assistant principals across the state Texas. This study utilized Maslach’s Burnout Inventory for Educator’s, Seligman’s Workplace PERMA Profiler, and a demographical survey. The surveys were sent to all 12,437 assistant principals in Texas and 950 participated. The study yielded the following statistically significant findings. 1) findings indicated that as perceptions of burnout increase, perceptions of well-being tended to decrease; 2) findings showed strong evidence that Texas assistant principals were burned out, 93.2% indicating emotional exhaustion and 94.2% indicating depersonalization; 3) findings indicated that years of experience as an assistant principal and the age of assistant principals played a role in the burnout levels of these educational professionals; and 4) follow up predictive analyses found that depersonalization was a major contributor to decreased feelings of personal accomplishment and identified females as exhibiting higher levels of emotional exhaustion. The study’s findings revealed limitations within the study and critical correlations between the personal and professional variables associated with burnout in assistant principals. These future research recommendations were suggested to address the limitations: replicate to a mixed method quasi-experimental study, investigate deeper into what is creating burnout, and develop a survey with deeper/richer questioning. Future professional practices suggested were implementation of mindfulness and positive psychology practices for leaders, professional development specific to the well-being of leaders, budget for well-being for leaders, make it a part of the district and campus improvement plan, and create a well-being team for the district.Item Caregivers’ choice against : a case study of caregivers’ denial of language services in Central Texas.(2021-07-04) Page, Barbara Raquel, 1989-; Carpenter, Bradley W.The focus of this study was to describe the prevalent issue affecting English Language Learners in Central Texas ISD (CTXISD) due to the denial of bilingual language services by caregivers, and to make sense of these parent denials. CTXISD is located in Texas and it serves more than 8,000 students on ten campuses. English language learners compose 3.3% of that population, at 271 students. Out of those 271 students, bilingual language denials primarily take place in the elementary and intermediate settings. During the 2018-2019 school year, there were 56 bilingual language denials in CTXISD which has an effect on the acquisition of the English language as well as academic readiness as measured by the state of Texas. The purpose of this study was to determine why caregivers are denying transitional bilingual services for their emergent bilingual children. A qualitative single case study with caregiver and administrator interviews were the means used to obtain caregivers’ perspectives and experiences of the factors that led them to deny these services. Data analysis resulted in emergent themes from Weick’s sensemaking theory: extracted cues, social environments, retrospective, and identity construction. The findings in this research could provide leaders across the nation with information on how to increase parent recruitment/enrollment for their language programs.Item Causes and differences in retention of white, African American, and Hispanic students who progressed toward graduation after first year in college.(2010-10-08T16:22:03Z) Matthews, Kenneth, 1958-; Talbert, Tony L.; Educational Administration.; Baylor University. Dept. of Educational Administration.African American and Hispanic students' retention rates in college have revealed that minority students are much more likely than white students to drop out of college. Additionally, minority students' graduation rates remain at a lower percentage rate than white students. The reason African American and Hispanic students are not equally represented on college campuses and experiencing similar retention rates as white students concerns many colleges and universities. Given these problems, this study focused on finding reasons why some African American and Hispanic students remain in college beyond their freshmen year. Examining the reasons why college students continue beyond their freshmen year will provide answers as to how universities can improve the retention rate of all ethnicities. The researcher used Dr. Pascarella and Dr. Terenzini's model as the primary theoretical framework lens for analyzing and interpreting data. Additionally, qualitative methods were used to measure such controlled variables as gender, ethnicity, and various colleges. The findings revealed differences in social and academic integration scale factors by gender, ethnicity, and various institutions of higher education that influenced college students to continue beyond their freshmen year. Furthermore, results revealed African American and Hispanic students require peer group interaction, institutional/goal commitment, and academic and intellectual development to increase their retention rate beyond their freshmen year of college. Universities stand to increase their knowledge base of how to increase the retention rate for minorities from this research. Institutions that focus attention on these findings can create a higher graduation rate. Improving minority student's retention until degree completion benefits all stakeholders.Item College student identity formation and negotiation in the context of study abroad.(2017-03-31) Madsen, Sarah E., 1993-; Scales, T. Laine.The distinct structure and environment of institutions of higher learning directly influence and validate the identities, roles, and statuses of students. Study abroad programs represent one such sub-environment of colleges and universities, wherein the conceptualization and negotiation of students’ identities may be affected by distinct actors and experiences. Studying abroad, then, has the potential to influence the ways in which students make sense of themselves, those around them, and the world at large. This research study sought to answer the following question: How does the transitional experience of studying abroad affect how college students conceptualize and negotiate their identities, roles, and statuses? Ultimately, students' backgrounds, language skills, connections to program faculty, and efforts at integration shaped identity formation in the context of study abroad.Item Community college success coaching : a phenomenological exploration.(2019-07-12) Robinson, Jessica Ann, 1985-; Glanzer, Perry L. (Perry Lynn)The purpose of this study was to develop an in-depth understanding of the essence of the emerging success coach profession and to understand how these community college student affairs staff members articulate and analyze the process of developing their students’ success. The role of community college success coach only recently emerged and these practitioners’ perspectives about what comprises student success in this context remain underexplored. Furthermore, the empirical community college student affairs literature continues to remain “downright skimpy” (Creamer, 1994, p. 9). This study was especially poignant in light of the Community College Completion Agenda’s work to increase community college student success rates, which are commonly quantified by increased retention, GPA, and transfer rates. Most of the current theories about community college student success do not entail a thorough understanding of the roles that community college student affairs professionals fill in helping their students to become successful. In turn, the dominant theories about student success primarily concentrate on promoting student academic success, and do not typically explore what it may mean for students to be successful outside of their educational endeavors. This study aimed to present a robust understanding of what community college student success means from the perspectives of those employed to facilitate this construct: the community college success coaches themselves. By using an interpretative phenomenological approach, this study gathered the experiences of community college success coaches to promote their students’ success. I also explored my participants’ perspectives about the ultimate goals of success coaching,especially regarding the relative lack of information about the success coaches’ potential roles in developing their students’ success outside of their academic endeavors. Through interviews, supported by document analysis, I provided a more holistic understanding of the ultimate purposes of this emerging student affairs function within the community college setting. I compared my participants’ perspectives to the current philosophies about community colleges success to understand how these theories may need to be modified to account for my participants’ lived experiences. I concluded by making specific recommendations as to ways that this practice should be augmented by current theories about community college student success.Item Conceptualizing the undocumented college student's legal status.(2014-06-11) Mũnoz, Alejandra, 1986-; Alleman, Nathan F., 1975-; Educational Administration.; Baylor University. Dept. of Educational Administration.Undocumented students in pursuit of a college education face a unique intersection of conflicting identities: one that potentially gives them a higher societal status by joining the social category of “college student,” and one that is associated with a social stigma that comes from the label of “undocumented.” Higher education institutions provide a place for undocumented students to navigate their legal status identity, make sense of it, shape it, and define it. In addition, the impact college has on a student’s social status can profoundly affect their life through opportunities for movement within society. This research study explored the following question: What is the role of college in how an undocumented student defines status ownership?Item Demographic characteristics and workload perceptions of higher education faculty in Texas who prepare K-12 principals.(2010-06-23T12:20:16Z) Haliburton, Francene.; Williamson, James Lonnie, 1934-; Educational Administration.; Baylor University. Dept. of Educational Administration.Research shows that the role of the K–12 principal is a significant factor in school improvement. Principal preparation programs have been criticized for inadequately preparing their graduates for the challenges they must face in K–12 schools. Since higher education faculty members directly impact the success of their programs (Bartlett, 2003), principal educators are responsible for reforming principal preparation programs. This study described higher education faculty members in Texas who prepare K–12 principals and their workloads. It also examined the faculty members' perceptions and values related to workloads and other issues. The research findings included: 1. The majority of the principal educators who participated in the study were white males, between the ages of 36 and 60 years old. Thirty-seven percent of them have never been a K–12 principal; 2. The study participants spent more time on teaching and preparing to teach than time on research activities and service activities. Differences in workloads existed when faculty participants' gender, highest degree earned, and tenure status were considered; 3. Differences in faculty participants' workloads existed when the Carnegie Foundation classification of each participant's institution was considered and when their program’s national accreditation status was considered; 4. Differences in principal preparation program characteristics did not exist when faculty members' demographic characteristics were considered; 5. Differences in two principal preparation program characteristics existed when each institution's Carnegie Foundation classification was considered; 6. The majority of the participants were satisfied with their jobs; and 7. The majority of the participants believed their program graduates perform well on the ExCET/TExES.Item Department chairs' perceptions of music transfer student success.(2007-02-14T21:51:31Z) Wilson, Christina H.; Cloud, Robert C.; Educational Administration.; Baylor University. Dept. of Educational Administration.The purpose of this study was to describe and understand the perceptions department chairs had of various attributes that contributed to two-year music transfer student success, in upper-level instruction at a four-year institution. This was a phenomenological study that explored department chairs' views of music student success. The results of this study were a description of themes related to this phenomenon. Participant views, although affected by the experiences department chairs had with students as well as their relationships to the music discipline, were important to the description of the phenomenon of transfer music student success. At this stage in the research, successful music students were generally defines as those students who completed course work successfully and who graduated in an appropriate amount of time for their degree. Each institution’s or each department's policies defined the appropriate amount of time for degree completion and the standards for successful course work completion. Even though the researcher was interested in participants' definitions for successful music transfer students, she chose to establish these definition parameters for participants to build definitions upon.Item Derailed : an interpretivist study of how senior-level higher education administrators experience and navigate job loss.(2020-11-05) Strietzel, Jeffrey Kurt, 1985-; Sriram, Rishi.This qualitative study used a multi-frame interpretivist approach to explore academic leaders’ involuntary or unwanted job departures—derailment. Informed by interviews with executive-level college and university administrators across North America who derailed and “rerailed” (found leadership roles again in higher education), this study (a) significantly expands prior limited administrator derailment literature, (b) offers fresh conceptualizations of how academic administrators experienced and navigated 46 job loss experiences, (c) sketches a conceptual framework for derailment experiences, (d) offers a derailment model, and (e) provides implications for future research and practice.Item Development of a scale to measure Academic Capital in high-risk college students.(2013-09-16) Winkler, Christa E.; Sriram, Rishi.; Educational Administration.; Baylor University. Dept. of Educational Administration.The purpose of this study was to create a psychometric instrument that quantitatively measures academic capital in college students. St. John, Hu, and Fisher (2011) define academic capital as a set of social processes that aid students in acquiring the knowledge and support necessary to access and navigate higher education. Content validity, construct validity, and reliability of the Academic Capital Scale developed in this study were established. Furthermore, in addition to validating the six components of academic capital identified by St. John et al. (2011), two additional components of academic capital were identified through principal components analysis. Providing higher education scholars and practitioners with a quantitative measure of academic capital will allow institutions to critically examine and restructure their current support programs for high-risk college students.Item The development of an instrument to determine the relevance and validity of the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) Standards for Advanced Programs in Educational Leadership.(2008-10-15T14:12:28Z) Lackey, Amy Dion.; Smith, Albert B. (Al), 1942-; Educational Administration.; Baylor University. Dept. of Educational Administration.The Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC), in 2002, created Standards for Advanced Preparation Programs in Educational Leadership. The purposes of this study, using Texas superintendents, were to: (1) design an instrument using the ELCC standards, (2) determine the validity and reliability of the instrument, (3) investigate constructs derived from factor analysis of participant responses, (4) revise the instrument if necessary, and (5) assess the relevancy of the standards. Eight research questions were used. The first six research questions were organized around the following statement: Were constructs derived from the factor analysis that could be interpreted as the ELCC Standards 1-6, i.e., Vision, Instruction, Management, Community/Collaboration, Ethics, and Larger Context? Research questions seven and eight included: Were there other constructs than those identified by the ELCC as Vision, Instruction, Management, Collaboration/Community, Ethics, or Larger Context? Did any significant differences exist between Texas superintendents’ perceptions by degree type with respect to the relevance of the ELCC Standards? In the fall of 2007, superintendents in Texas were invited to participate in the study by completing the 68 item questionnaire developed from six of the seven ELCC Standards. From a total population of 1031 district superintendents, 204 (20%) responded. Reliability Cronbach Alpha Coefficients, at the .75 level or above, established reliable questions for all constructs except Ethics. However, the two highest rated items in this study were related to the superintendents’ ethical behavior. The data were further analyzed using factor analysis to answer the first seven research questions and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to answer research question eight. Vision, Instruction, Management, and Community/Collaboration correlated highly with four factors. Factor five and six were named (labeled) “Learning and Research” and “Planning for Practice,” using keywords from statements that were associated with these factors. Only one significant difference was found when comparing construct and factor mean responses by superintendents with different levels of education. Several recommendations for practice and research were presented. One recommendation for practice was that preparation program faculty could use the new or revised survey instrument to conduct program evaluations. A recommendation for research was that future researchers could use the survey questionnaire to investigate the relevancy of the ELCC Standards in other states.Item Differences in parental involvement typologies among Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y parents : a study of select bay area region of Houston elementary schools.(2011-01-05T19:46:11Z) Veloz, Elizabeth Andrea.; Williamson, James Lonnie, 1934-; Educational Administration.; Baylor University. Dept. of Educational Administration.The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences existed among generations (Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y) regarding the levels of parental involvement within each of these generations. Also examined were additional factors such as the parents' socioeconomic status, educational level, marital status, and ethnicity. The Parent and School Survey (PASS), based on Epstein's Theoretical Framework, was distributed to parents of elementary students in eight schools in the Bay Area region of Houston, Texas. Follow–up focus group interviews were conducted to draw inferences about each respective generation and their ideas concerning parental involvement with particular interest dedicated to how parents define parental involvement. An ANOVA was used to measure the intensity of the effect of the independent variable (parent's generation) on the dependent variable (parental involvement score). Then, additional analyses were done by adding in variables one at a time to determine what effect income (Socioeconomic Status), marital status, or parents' education may have had on the simple relationship. Finally, the Tukey's HSD test was used to determine which groups of generations differ from one another. The findings in this study support the literature. This study concluded that there are differences among generations of Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y regarding the levels of parental involvement and in some cases income (SES), marital status, ethnicity, and parents' education had an impact on level and type of parental involvement.Item Differences in self-efficacy and global-mindedness between short-term and semester-long study abroad participants of selected Christian universities.(2006-05-28T02:03:15Z) Kehl, Kevin L.; Cloud, Robert C.; Educational Administration.; Baylor University. Dept. of Educational Administration.It has been suggested that the human experience is an increasingly globalized one in which people have multiple cross-cultural exchanges or interactions. Given the growing the global interdependence and awareness of common problems facing humanity, many educational leaders have advocated for the internationalization of higher education. Student participation in a study abroad program is a common strategy employed to meet this objective. Educational leaders and decision makers are faced with the difficult task of balancing competing programs as stewards of institutional and human capital in an environment of limited resources. This common, yet special challenge, calls us to find an objective means of evaluating the effectiveness of study abroad programs. The calls, for internationalizing university curricula come from within the academy as well as from the increased student demand for international experiences, are being answered in the affirmative as seen in the recent growth of student participation in study abroad programs. Traditionally, study abroad has been thought of as an experience that requires significant interaction with a host culture often consisting of a semester of year in length. Yet one of the areas of greatest growth has been increased participation in short programs, usually consisting of 8 weeks or less. While different program types, length, and objectives vary from institution to institution, in general, it is agreed that internationalizing higher education should help students prepare for living in the 21st century. Two foundational constructs often cited as necessary components of this preparations include global-mindedness and self-efficacy. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in outcomes of study abroad length and participation on general self-efficacy, and attitudes reflecting global-mindedness of students at three private Christian universities. This study sought to examine the differences between students who had participated for a semester with students who had participated in a short-term program consisting of 8 weeks or less as well as students who intended to attend study abroad prior to their actual participation. Findings and recommendations reflect the context of the current climate of increasing pressures on university budgets and calls to more acurately measure curricular and co-curricular outcomes.Item District of innovation-hired career and technical education teachers : a study of preparation and effectiveness.(2021-04-15) Ferguson, Stephanie Davis, 1965-; Wilson, John E. (Professor)School districts across the nation are struggling to fill Career and Technical Education (CTE) teaching positions each year (Devier, 2019). To address this demand in Texas, state lawmakers passed legislation to create Districts of Innovation (DOI) in 2015 (Texas Education Agency, 2020a). The DOI designation gives school districts more local control by removing the teacher certification hiring barrier, so administrators can fill CTE teaching positions with industry experts (Crow, 2015; Walsh et al., 2018). These new educators—known as DOI Health Science CTE teachers in this research study—bypass teacher certification programs and are put in the position of becoming teachers and learners concurrently. DOI teachers are adult learners discovering how to become teachers. Through an adult learning theory lens of andragogy, this study documented the journey of these new teachers as they acquired skills to enter the classroom. Industry experts bring life experiences to the classroom that are critical to their own learning (Power, 2018). DOI Health Science CTE teachers must learn how to manage classrooms, design curricula and lessons, and navigate district and school expectations, policies, and rules. It is important to support these new teachers to share in the common mission of the school district to improve academic achievement for all students (Hemmer & Elliff, 2018). This problem of practice focuses on the shortage of qualified teachers for the Health Science career cluster and the need to tap that industry to fill these positions. The decision to focus solely on the Health Science career cluster will be supported by data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020), which predicts healthcare occupations will grow by 15% and will add more than 2.4 million new jobs by 2029. Upon this backdrop of change sits the demand for qualified CTE teachers to provide context through real-world experiences (Perna, 2018) and to prepare students for the workforce of tomorrow (Bottoms et al., 2013; Meeder & Pawlowski, 2020).Item Diversity in students’ personal networks : an egocentric network analysis of diversity’s role in student thriving.(2019-04-23) Vukelich, Alyssa 1994-; Sriram, Rishi.Racial and ethnic diversity has previously been linked with a multitude of positive benefits in business, K-12 education, higher education, and in communities. Additionally, The Thriving Quotient is a mechanism for better understanding student success and wellbeing from a psychological perspective. The Thriving Quotient is comprised of five subscales: academic determination, engaged learning, social connectedness, diverse citizenship, and positive perspective. The present research used social network analysis to study how the network diversity of students may play a role in students’ psychological thriving outcomes. Findings found that, while racial and ethnic diversity of students’ networks is not predictive of thriving, the subscales of thriving are predictive of network homophily and heterogeneity.Item Do gender and expertise matter? An exploration of athletic product endorsement in China.(2020-07-15) Qi, Jiayao Chee, 1993-; Magnusen, Marshall J.This study examined the effect of an athlete endorser’s gender-sport fit and expertise in the decision-making process of athlete endorsed product impressions in a Chinese sports market. The result of this study showed that the gender-sport fit of an athlete endorser can significantly impact sport consumers’ intentions to purchase an endorsed product. A total of 649 sport consumers from a major city in China participated in this study. The relationship between gender-sport fit and level of expertise of an athlete endorser was also revealed. Specifically, gender-sport fit had a stronger influence on consumers’ purchase intentions compared to expertise. The findings of this study should be beneficial to athletes considering endorsement contracts and marketers who want to use endorsements to advertise their products and improve sales.Item Does gender matter? Transfer students' perceptions of their transition experiences.(2014-06-11) Yuhas, Elise M.; Alleman, Nathan F., 1975-; Educational Administration.; Baylor University. Dept. of Educational Administration.This study focuses on the role of gender in the meaning-making processes of transfer students and their selection and use of institutional and non-institutional resources during their transitions to a new university. Contrary to previous research that shows transfer students want to participate in similar types of transition resources that are provided to first-year students, these participants discussed that they wanted their previous collegiate experiences to be recognized and validated by their transfer institution. Findings indicate that expectations and experiences of the individual play a more significant role in the selection of resources than gender. Implications for future research point to studying the inclusion of transfer students in Greek Life activities.Item Effective middle school practices to reduce the frequency with which students share sexually explicit content.(2020-01-16) Heathcote, Shorr, 1983-; Carpenter, Bradley W.The Central Independent School District (CISD) has experienced an uptick in student sexting incidents at the middle school level. It is the opinion of Central ISD and the researcher that additional efforts are required to adequately address student sexting. District leadership seeks opportunities to improve its practices and understand what improvements can be made to strengthen these efforts. In an effort to address student sexting, the Texas Education Agency requires public school districts to make sexting education programs and resources available to parents and students. The purpose of this study was to determine how suburban districts are implementing the state’s requirements, the effectiveness of the current practices, and what needs to be done to strengthen how sexting can be addressed in school. A literature review, qualitative dual case study and review of district artifacts were used to examine the policies, programs and practices used to address sexting in two similar sized suburban districts. The researcher coded and analyzed the data obtained to reveal nine common themes which include, (1) an eagerness to move beyond state laws and local consequences, (2) the use of technology to combat technological misconduct, (3) an increased relevancy and role(s) of law enforcement officials on campus, (4) a necessity of training staff members to respond to reports of sexting, (5) embedding sexting education in school curricula and student trainings, (6) challenges related to discipline and data reporting, (7) a possible uptick in reports due to anonymous reporting systems, (8) current programs focused on consequences, and (9) partnerships with parents and community members are necessary. Findings from the research and dual case study revealed the need for developing a comprehensive framework for addressing student sexting through collaborative partnerships.Item Elementary principals' attitudes towards the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education setting.(2006-12-11T18:00:32Z) Ramirez, Roxanna C.; Beckner, Weldon.; Educational Administration.; Baylor University. Dept. of Educational Administration.Since the beginning of special education, educators have explored the topic of how best to serve students with disabilities. Only recently have schools begun to integrate students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms. Principals are now faced with deciding which students with disabilities will benefit from inclusion and how the inclusion process should be implemented. Because of the role principals play in implementing inclusion programs into their schools it is important to study how principals' perceptions of inclusion guide their decisions. This question was the foundation for the purpose of this study, which was to determine the attitudes and perceptions of Texas elementary school principals relative to including students with disabilities in general education classrooms. This study investigated how demographic information and experience affected principals' attitudes about inclusion. In addition, it also examined the principals' perception regarding the appropriateness of the placement of students based on the type of disability. The research was conducted using a Web-based survey that was developed by Praisner (2000), the Principals and Inclusion Survey (PIS). The PIS contains four sections including demographics, training, experience, attitudes toward inclusion and most appropriate placement for students with disabilities. The principals were randomly selected from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) records. The sample survey included a total of 360 principals, of which 110 completed the survey. Once the information was collected, it was analyzed using univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The results of the study indicated that demographic factors, training, and experience did not have a statistically significant affect on principals' attitudes toward inclusion. The study did find that principals' special education teaching experience had a statistically significant affect on principals' attitudes toward inclusion. The study also found that 108 of the principals that successfully responded to the section examining principals' overall attitudes toward inclusion showed a more favorable attitude toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms. The results from this study indicate the importance of developing educational administration programs that will prepare elementary school principals with stronger, more positive attitudes toward including students with disabilities in general education settings.