University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

The Organization Of District-Level Personnel Functions In Selected California School Districts

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The Organization Of District-Level Personnel Functions In Selected California School Districts

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Content THE ORGANIZATION OP DISTRICT-LEVEL PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS IN SELECTED CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the School of Education The University of Southern California In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education by Jay David Mack June i960 This dissertation, written under the direction of the Chairman of the candidate's Guidance Committee and approved by all members of the Committee, has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty of the School of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of D octor of Education. D a te June. 5, . I960. Guidance Com mittee TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING........... 1 Introduction ........ 1 The Problem......................... 4 Delimitations ........................... 14 Definition of Terms................. 16 Organization of the Study.......... 19 II. RELATED LITERATURE AND INVESTIGATIONS ... 22 Introduction.................... 22 Literature and Research on Personnel Administration in Education .......... 25 Literature on Industrial and Public Per sonnel Administration ................ 76 Summary of the Chapter............ 104 III. PROCEDURE AND TREATMENT OF THE DATA .... 107 Introduction ........................... 107 Preliminary Interviews ................ 108 The Trial Questionnaire and Pilot Study . 115 Administration of the Questionnaire . . . 115 ii iii CHAPTER PAGE Establishment of Criteria by Personnel Administrators ...................... 121 Summary of the Chapter ........ 122 IV. IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS............................ 126 Distribution of Respondent Districts . . 127 Ratios of Certificated and Classified Employees to District Enrollments . . . 156 Summary of the Chapter............. 146 V. THE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR .............. 148 Introduction.......... 148 Administrator Responsible for Personnel . 150 Establishment of the Personnel Position as Related to Enrollment ....... 169 Distribution of the Personnel Adminis trator's Time...................... 189 Distribution o'f the Business Manager's T i m e .............................. 194 Other Areas of Administrative Responsi bility Assigned to Personnel Adminis trators ............................... 199 iv CHAPTER PAGE Summary of the Chapter................ 208 VI. PLACEMENT OP RESPONSIBILITY FOR PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS............................... 217 Introduction ........................... 217 Securing Employees .................... 221 In-Service Training, Retention, and Dis missal of Employees.................. 229 Personnel Records, Reports, and Handbooks 238 Other Administrative Personnel Functions 246 Employee Welfare ....................... 264 Recommended Major and Minor Personnel Responsibilities of Administrators for Certificated Employees .............. 279 Recommended Major and Minor Personnel Responsibilities of Administrators for Classified Employees ................ 290 Summary of the Chapter................ 302 VII. TIME EXPENDITURES REQUIRED OF ADMINISTRATORS FOR VARIOUS PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS ........ 305 Introduction ........................... 305 Securing Employees .................... 308 V CHAPTER PAGE Retention and Dismissal of Employees . . 315 Personnel Records and Handbooks ........ 321 Administrative Personnel Functions . . . 326 Employee Welfare ....................... 338 Summary of Existing and Recommended Ex penditures of T i m e ............... 346 VIII. ORGANIZATION OF THE DISTRICT PERSONNEL OFFICE OR DEPARTMENT ................... 360 Introduction ........................... 360 Lines of Responsibility of the Personnel Administrator, and the Positions Respon sible to H i m ..................... 363 Areas of Line and Staff Responsibility . 375 The Personnel Administrator's Relation ship to Other District-Level Adminis trators ................................ 394 Districts Having Written Statements of Personnel Functions ................... 408 Evolvement of the Personnel Office or Department....................... 4l4 vi CHAPTER PAGE The Organizational Structure of the Per sonnel Office or Department ........... 422 Developmental Stages of Personnel Organ ization and Administration....... 452 Summary of the Chapter............. 447 IX. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS . 456 Summary.............................. 456 Summary of Findings................. 465 Conclusions.......................... 489 Recommendations .......................... 490 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................... 497 APPENDIX A. Personal Interview Guide and Accom panying Correspondence ............. 507 APPENDIX B. Pilot Study and Accompanying Letter . 524 APPENDIX C. Final Questionnaire, and Letters . . . 538 LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE I. Number and Type of Administration of School Districts to Which Question naires Were S e n t ...................... 128 II. Number and Type of Administration of Respondent Districts ................. 130 III. Geographic Distribution of Returns . . . 135 IV. Titles of Administrators Who Completed the Questionnaires.................... 135 V. Ratios of Certificated and Classified Employees to Enrollment in Large Dis tricts ................................. 138 VI. Ratios of Certificated and Classified Employees to Enrollment in Medium- Sized Districts........................ 140 VII. Ratios of Certificated and Classified Employees of Enrollment in Small Dis tricts ................................. 142 vii viii TABLE PAGE VTII. Ratio of Certificated to Classified Employees.............................. 144 IX. Administrator Largely Responsible for Personnel.............................. 152 X. Title of the Personnel Administrator . . 157 XI. Administrator Responsible for Certifi cated Employees........................ l6l XII. Administrator Responsible for Classified Employees.............................. 165 XIII. When a Personnel Administrator Was Em ployed as Determined by Enrollment . . 171 XIV. Recommendations Regarding Establishment of Personnel Positions as Determined by Enrollment............................ 178 XV. Factors Influencing Districts to Provide a Personnel Administrator ............. 182 XVI. Percentage of Personnel Time Allotted by Personnel Administrators to District Employees.............................. 190 XVII. Percentage of Personnel Time Allotted by TABLE PAGE XXVII. Administrator Responsible for Preparing Job and Position Descriptions........ 258 XXVIII. Administrator Responsible for Administer ing Leaves........................... 262 XXIX. Administrator Responsible for Employee Morale............................... 2 66 XXX. Administrator Responsible for Administer ing the Retirement Program.......... 271 XXXI. Administrator Responsible for Insurance, Recreation, Health, Safety, and Housing 275 XXXII. Recommendations Concerning the Adminis trators Who Should be Responsible for Certificated Personnel Functions in All Districts....................... 280 XXXIII. Recommendations Concerning the Adminis trators Who Should be Responsible for Certificated Personnel Functions in Large Districts....................... 28l XXXIV. Recommendations Concerning the Adminis trators Who Should be Responsible for TABLE XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. XXIII. XXIV. XXV. XXVI. Business Managers to District Employees Areas of Administrative Responsibility Other Than Personnel Assigned to Per sonnel Administrators ................. Administrator Responsible for Recruit ment, Appraisal and Selection ........ Administrator Responsible for Assignment and Transfer .......................... Administrator Responsible for Orienta tion, In-service Training ............. Administrator Responsible for Evaluation, Promotions, Terminations, and Disci pline .................................. Administrator Responsible for Personnel Records and Reports ................... Administrator Responsible for Employee Handbooks .............................. Administrator Responsible for Formulating Personnel Policies ................... Administrator Responsible for Salary Schedules .............................. ix PAGE 195 201 225 227 251 256 24l 244 249 254 XI TABLE PAGE Certificated Personnel Functions in Medium-sized Districts .............. 282 XXXV. Recommendations Concerning the Adminis trators Who Should be Responsible for Certificated Personnel Functions in Small Districts............ I . . . . 283 XXXVI. Recommendations Concerning the Adminis trators Who Should be Responsible for Classified Personnel Functions in All Districts............................. 291 XXXVII. Recommendations Concerning the Adminis trators Who Should be Responsible for Classified Personnel Functions in Large Districts....................... 292 XXXVIII. Recommendations Concerning the Admlnis- trators Who Should be Responsible for Classified Personnel Functions in Medium-sized Districts .............. 293 XXXIX. Recommendations Concerning the Adminis trators Who Should be Responsible for xii TABLE PAGE Classified Personnel Functions in Small Districts....................... 294 XL. Relative Expenditure of Time for Recruit ment, Appraisal, and Selection .... 510 XLI. Relative Expenditure of Time for Assign ment and Transfer................. 512 XLII. Relative Expenditure of Time for Orienta tion and In-service Training ........ 515 XLIII. Relative Expenditure of Time for Evalua tion, Promotion, Discipline, and Ter mination ............................. 519 XLIV. Relative Expenditure of Time for Person nel Records....................... 522 XLV. Relative Expenditure of Time for Employee Handbooks......................... 525 XLVI. Relative Expenditure of Time for Person nel Policies..................... 528 XLVII. Relative Expenditure of Time for the Sal ary Program........................ 551 XLVIII. Relative Expenditure of Time for Prepar ing Job and Position Descriptions . . . 55^ xiii TABLE PAGE XLIX. Relative Expenditure of Time for Adminis tering the Leave Program............ 556 L. Relative Expenditure of Time Given to Employee Morale ..... ............ 559 LI. Relative Expenditure of Time for Adminis tering the Retirement Program ........ 542 LII. Relative Expenditure of Time for Welfare Functions: Recreation, Insurance, Health, Safety, and Housing ........... 544 LIII. Summary of the Existing and Recommended Expenditures of Time Required for Per sonnel Functions for Certificated Em ployees................................ 547 LIV. Summary of Recommendations Concerning Expenditure of Time on Functions Per formed for Certificated Employees in Relation to District Size............. 550 LV. Summary of the Existing and Recommended Expenditures of Time Required for Per sonnel Functions for Classified Em ployees............. 554 xiv TABLE PAGE LVI. Summary of Recommendations Concerning Expenditure of Time on Functions Per formed for Classified Employees in Relation to District Size............. 357 LVII. Position to Which the Personnel Adminis trator is Directly Responsible .... 365 LVIII. Certificated Employees Other Than the Personnel Administrator, in the Person nel Office........................... 368 LIX. Classified Employees in the Personnel Office................................ 370 LX. Number of Equivalent Full-Time Certifi cated and Classified Positions Required to Perform Personnel Functions at the District Level, as Related to Enroll ment Levels........................... 372 LXI. Line and Staff Relationship of the Per sonnel Administrator ................. 378 LXII. Responsibilities for Which Personnel Ad ministrators Have Line Authority . . . 381 XV TABLE PAGE LXIII. Responsibilities for Which Personnel Administrators Have Staff (Advisory) Relationship ......................... 587 LXIV. Relationship of the Personnel Administra tor to the Assistant Superintendent of Business Services ..................... 595 LXV. Relationship of the Personnel Administra tor to the Assistant Superintendent in Charge of Instruction ................. 400 LXVI. Relationship of the Personnel Administra tor to the School Principals........ 404 LXVII. Relationship of the Personnel Administra tor to Other District-Level Personnel . 407 LXVTII. Districts Having Written Statements of Personnel Responsibilities .......... 4l0 LXIX. Where Written Statements of Personnel Responsibilities Are Pound .......... 412 LXX. Opinions of Administrators Concerning Whether Districts Should Have a Sep arate Personnel Department .......... 4l6 xvi TABLE PAGE LXXI. Reasons Why a Personnel Office or De partment Evolved....................... 4l9 LXXII. Patterns of Personnel Organization at the District Level ......................... 424 LIST OP FIGURES Figure Page 1. Developmental Stages of the Organization and Administration of Personnel in Selected California School Districts, as Determined by Enrollment............. 453 To my wife, Wilma, and my children, Janis and David, with love and gratitude. xviii CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING I. INTRODUCTION Personnel management in industry, public adminis tration, and governmental agencies has grown logically and historically out of the employment function. Employ ment, generally, has been a process of selecting and hir ing new employees, placing them at work for which they were adapted, and transferring them to meet the needs of the particular enterprise. Another primary function of employment is often the task of surrounding new employees with the proper physical tools and mental securities es sential to successful performance of productive work in the organization. Personnel administration in the public schools, likewise, has developed from the employment function. While it has retained the original employment function, 1 the enormous growth of public education has forced per sonnel administration to become much broader in scope than mere selection and hiring. Within the past decade there has been a surge of interest in the principles, policies, and organizational structure of public school personnel administration. This interest has been heightened because of rapid growths in enrollment, teacher shortages, financial problems, and a widespread desire for the application of more democratic administrative procedures. These and related factors have created a situation requiring that administrators receive increased training and gain extensive experience in many phases of personnel administration. Additional functions of employment stabilization, wider economic security, understanding of employee viewpoints, and the ability to interpret policies to certificated and classified person nel are also of current concern. Boards of education and administrators have realized that good employee relations ultimately affect the quality of the instructional program. These recent developments have had a vitalizing effect upon current concepts of personnel administration. Unfortunately, little research has been done re garding organizational structures and functions of per sonnel administration in public education. Analysis of the position of the personnel administrator, for example, can only be made in terms of these factors. Depending upon the size of a district, the personnel administrator- may be a superintendent, an assistant superintendent, or a personnel director. Regardless of the administrative position, his relationship to the total educational pro gram is a vital one. It seems that no two school districts organize and perform their personnel functions In the same manner. Differences may arise from any of a number of factors, such as increased enrollment, financial means, and vari ations in the size and type of school district organiza tion. Differences also exist because personnel adminis tration in public education, per se, is a relatively re cent function of school districts. Many of the districts which are large enough to differentiate personnel func tions are plagued by uncertainties and undefined guide lines in the area of personnel administration. Problems have arisen despite expressions concerning the importance of good human relations with all school personnel. Board members, administrators, and school employ ees are becoming aware of the need for broader personnel programs. The administrator in charge of the program of personnel administration consequently occupies an in creasingly crucial position. Personnel administrators in school districts of California are constantly facing new problems and absorbing greater responsibilities. It is, therefore, urgent that present and anticipated personnel programs be studied so that problem areas may be identi fied and recommendations made regarding appropriate or ganizational patterns, relationships, and services to district employees. II. THE PROBLEM Statement of the Problem This study sought to determine the personnel func tions that should be performed in school districts, the administrative position that should be assigned responsi bility for each function, and the patterns of organiza tion that are most conducive to successful performance of the personnel functions. Specifically, the purposes of the study were to (l) discover the personnel functions now being performed for certificated and classified employees, and those which educators believe should be performed; (2) determine the district-level administrator assigned to perform the var ious personnel functions, and the position to which these responsibilities should be assigned; (5) determine the relationships of the personnel administrator to other district-level positions, and to discover the personnel organizational patterns; (4) analyze and evaluate the findings in relation to district enrollments; and (5) make recommendations concerning practices which should prevail, based upon the professional judgments of person nel administrators in the field. In order to achieve the purposes of the study, answers were sought to the questions listed below. It will be seen that, in addition to studying actual prac tice, the attempt was made to determine what constitutes sound personnel practice as it applies to selected Cali fornia school districts. 1. Which district-level administrator is respon sible for personnel and what is his title? 2. To whom is the personnel administrator re sponsible, and who is responsible to him? 3. At what enrollment levels do school districts need a part-time, half-time, or full-time personnel ad ministrator? What factors determine this need? 4. How much time is allotted by the personnel ad ministrator and business manager to certificated and classified employees? 5. What responsibilities other than personnel are assigned to personnel administrators? Which responsibil ities combine best with the personnel position? 6. Does the administrator responsible for person nel have line relationship, staff relationship, or a com bination of the two? 7. What is the line and staff relationship be tween the personnel administrator and other district- level, positions? 8. Are the responsibilities of the personnel ad ministrator specified in writing? If so, where are they enumerated? 9. How many certificated and classified employees are employed in the personnel department or office, if such an office exists? Should districts have a separate personnel department? 10. What factors are considered in the develop ment of a separate personnel department? 11. What are the different patterns of personnel organization as related to district size (enrollment)? - 12. Which personnel functions are performed for district employees? Who is responsible for performing the functions? 13. What is the relative expenditure of time al lotted to various personnel functions? Importance of the Problem Superintendents and personnel administrators are constantly developing and/or reorganizing personnel struc tures, policies, and functions. Such factors as increased enrollment, new concepts of proper personnel administra tion, demands for additional employee services, and public interest in education create demands which often necessi tate changes in structure and function. Personnel administration, regardless of the organ izational framework within which it operates, has always been an important phase of the educational effort. Recently the public schools of California have undergone extensive organizational changes because of rapidly in creased enrollments in many districts. The importance of a systematic and effective per sonnel program has increased because of pressures exerted from outside and within the public schools. The public demands greater efficiency in operating the schools. Good performance in return for the tax dollar is expected of all districts, large or small. There are also in creasing demands by employees that must be considered. The functions of recruitment, selection, evaluation, and retention have become more complicated and competitive. The result is that all districts are under pressure con tinually to strive for continued improvement. Management in public administration and industry has learned through the hard school of experience that it pays to have a well-formulated personnel program regard ing all matters affecting efficiency, welfare, and happi ness of employees. The purpose of personnel programs in governmental agencies, in business and industry, and in public education is to insure maximum efficiency to the organization and a maximum of satisfaction to each employee In the performance of his task. This goal is seldom achieved in education, however. According to Peard (54:4), personnel management in education has prac tically neglected these important aspects of administra tion. On the other hand, Chandler concluded from a re view of current writings and topics of research study in educational administration that there is evidence of a trend toward greater emphasis in school administration upon the personnel function (4:588). Emphasizing the im portance of the personnel function, Chandler wrote: It may be estimated that seventy to eighty per cent of public school funds go for salary payments. This large expenditure immediately suggests the Importance of businesslike proce dures in the employment and administration of personnel on the school staff. The type of of fice organization established, or the plans made In the office of the superintendent of the 3mall school system, have a very direct bearing upon the degree of businesslike efficiency that will characterize personnel administration in the school system. Although school systems do vary greatly In size and in the degree of com plication in their administrative organizations, every school administrative pattern can operate efficiently in his particular school system. The personnel function is always present, whether or not arrangements have been made to handle it efficiently. (4:525) 10 Melbo reiterated the importance of good school personnel administration: No school system can ever rise above the com petency and character of its employed personnel. Educational programs are achieved through people. Seventy-five per cent or more of most school budgets is expended for the salaries of personnel. Supplies, textbooks, and courses of study are important, but they become valuable only in relation to their use by the employed personnel of the district. It is the impact of personality upon personality that results in good education for youth. (11:l) Browne indicated a need for greater school empha sis on adequate personnel administrative functions and practices because of the expanding importance of educa tion in society (25:2). According to Delden, the personnel administrator's job and responsibilities will continually broaden in scope. In fact, the duties and requirements of the per sonnel job will expand so fast that we shall have trouble keeping up to date on the subject (53000). The consensus of writings on the problem is that extensive information is needed about the personnel pro gram of school districts for the following reasons: 1. If present and future personnel administra tors are to deal effectively with rapid growth and 11 constant changes, accurate facts should be obtained re garding the functions and allied responsibilities of per sonnel administrators. 2. The basic patterns of development in personnel administration should be determined for districts of var ious sizes. Consideration should also be given to the role of both certificated and classified personnel in the development of the personnel program. 5. Experiences of administrators in the field need to be obtained so that their recommendations may aid in the establishment of wise guideposts for future changes. Administrators are better prepared to evaluate and adjust their personnel activities to various pres sures when such evaluation and adjustment are based on facts. One basis for conclusions can be reached through a determination of the extent of personnel responsibili ties prevailing in school districts of similar size and type of administrative organization. As Baker indicated, knowledge of existing activities and functions forms the starting point for improvement (1:5). 12 Justification of the Study Examination of the literature revealed no single study dealing specifically with the personnel functions performed for certificated and classified employees. Various segments of total personnel programs have been isolated and examined individually. It was believed that the entire band of certificated and classified positions in the state of California needed to be studied from the standpoint of personnel functions. Recent research has revealed a pressing need for such a study. Browne recommended that a survey of prac tices and functions in the administration of classified personnel be made. He further discovered that the duties and functions of the personnel director were the least discussed of all topics in courses in personnel adminis tration (25:207). Galuzzo also recommended that a study be made to determine the basic functions of a personnel department in a school district (29:545). Peard saw the need for a comprehensive study of the functions, practices, and the interrelationship of each position regarding personnel in the school situations. In fact, this was her first recommendation for further study (54:258). Carroll, likewise, noted a dearth of literature and materials dealing with the planning and administra tive phases of teacher personnel programs (26:56). Bain stated that educational personnel adminis trators were faced with a crisis and suggested numerous areas in which research was needed. One such area was the determination of the effectiveness of various pat terns of organization. He suggested that such a study might well include the responsibility for noncertified as well as certificated personnel (49:259)* Wheeler's recent study indicated that further research should be made into the problems that arise when both classified and certificated employees are assigned to the personnel director as a part of his personnel re sponsibility. He urged that an analysis be made of the proper assignment of responsibility in the internal or ganization of the personnel office (40:510). In its planning stage inquiries were made of var ious educational organizations about the pertinency and importance of the present study. A letter from Mr. 14 Morrill M. Hall, Research Assistant of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office of Education, stated that in his opinion the topic was well chosen and could result in some valuable contribution. He stated that his office had printed little, if anything, on the subject. Dr. Kenneth R. Brown, Director of Research, Cali fornia Teachers Association, also stated that he had very little to report on this topic, and that this particular title had not previously been brought to his attention. Ill. DELIMITATIONS It was the intention of this study to determine and evaluate the personnel administrator1s responsibili ties and the functions he performs in the public schools of California. Because of the peculiar problems exist ing in public education which set it apart from problems of personnel administration in industry and public admin istration, personnel problems in the latter agencies were not studied. However, literature related to industry and political subdivisions were consulted to provide back ground information and bases of comparison. 15 Only district-level personnel practices were studied. The personnel functions performed in each indi vidual elementary and secondary school were considered only as they directly related to the district personnel office or department. Only California public schools were surveyed, since it was believed that they were somewhat unique with respect to problems of enrollment growth and expansion. It was assumed tnat data drawn from other states having less population growth would have little application to the factors being studied in this state, and that com parisons might lack pertinence. It was also decided to delimit the study to uni fied districts and districts having a common administra tion for both the elementary and secondary schools. Since there is a gradual trend for districts to become unified, this restriction was deemed proper so that the findings would be of longer-lasting value. Extremely large school districts were eliminated from the study because the literature and personal visits to these districts indicated that they were atypical and, therefore, would not lend themselves to the intended purposes of the study. Only grades kindergarten through twelve were in cluded, junior colleges, adult education, and continua tion schools being excluded from the study. It was thought that personnel administrative practices and pat terns would be found to be more uniform in districts hav ing a single administrative head and board of education. Participating districts with enrollments between 5*000 and 22,000 were divided into three classifications: (l) from 5*000 to 10,000; (2) from 10,000 to 15,000; and (5) from 15*000 to 22,000 students. No attempt was made to determine the desired per sonal and professional qualifications of personnel admin istrators, nor to evaluate how successfully or unsuccess fully he was performing his responsibilities. IV. DEFINITION OF TERMS Many of the terms used In education are self- explanatory and commonly understood. Other terms have special meanings at specific grade levels, while some may be somewhat ambiguous and nebulous to the lay reader. Those terras that might be misunderstood are presented 17 for clarification. The term certificated employees refers to those individuals employed by a school district who hold posi tions requiring a credential or state certification. Examples of certificated employees are teachers, adminis trators, and school psychologists. Classified employees are those individuals employed by a school district who hold positions not requiring a credential or state certification. Examples of classi fied employees are custodians, secretaries, transporta tion, and maintenance personnel. Personnel administration refers to the planning, organizing, and coordinating of activities which con tribute to realizing the defined purposes of the school district. It utilizes the employee's maximum individual capacities with proper regard for the genuine well-being of all members of the district. The term personnel administrator refers to the district-level administrator who has the major responsi bility for the personnel program of the school district. His title and rank may differ from district to district, depending upon the size and administrative organizational 18 structure of the district. ~ The personnel department is a separate division organized to administer the personnel program. An admin istrator is designated as head of the department; to him is assigned the responsibility for performing all or al most all of the personnel functions. A personnel office is the office of the adminis trator to whom is assigned the responsibility of perform ing a majority of the personnel functions. Use of the term personnel office implies that a separate personnel department has not developed and that the administrator carries additional responsibilities other than personnel. District level refers to the administrative level above the individual school. In this study the terms district level, central office, and district office are used synonymously. Administratively speaking, superin tendents and assistant superintendents operate at the district level. Large districts, throughout the report of this investigation, are school districts having between 15*000 to 22,000 students enrolled. Medium districts, throughout the report of the 19 investigation, are school districts having between 10,000 to 14,999 students in enrollment. Small districts, throughout the report of this investigation, are school districts having between 5*000 to 9*999 students enrolled. The term relative expenditure of time is used to refer to the approximate amount of time allotted by the personnel administrator in performing various personnel responsibilities. In this study the term practice is used to refer to the usual manner in which personnel responsibilities are handled by district administrators. Functions refer to those activities designed to carry out the purposes of the personnel program. It is that part of administration which is assigned to a de partment or office, or delegated to an individual to per form. In this study the terra is used interchangeably with duties, activities, and responsibilities. V. ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY The balance of this study is organized to include the following chapters: 20 Chapter II contains a review of the related liter ature in the fields of education, industry, and public personnel administration. Chapter III explains the procedures used to col lect the data. The jury of personnel administrators, sponsorship, and method of handling the data are also discussed. Chapter IV gives the identification and descrip tion of school districts participating in the study. The geographical distribution of returns is presented, to gether with district enrollment figures. Ratios of cer tificated and classified employees to student enrollments are given for large, medium, and small districts. In Chapters V, VI, VII, and VIII, findings are presented as given by respondents to the final question naire. Chapter V presents data regarding the personnel administrator; Chapter VI the data concerning the place ment of responsibility for performing various personnel functions; and Chapter VII the data regarding the rela tive expenditure of time required to perform various per sonnel functions. Chapter VIII presents the data on the personnel department. Chapter IX gives a summary of the findings, con clusions, and recommendations of the study. Areas in which there is a need for further research are also out lined. CHAPTER II RELATED LITERATURE AND INVESTIGATIONS I. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this phase of the investigation was to bring to bear on the problem all significant con tributions found in the general literature in the fields of public school personnel administration, industrial personnel management, and public personnel administra tion. Since no research studies were found that formed a composite body of findings related directly to the problem, it was deemed advisable to select from various sources those which made a general contribution to one or more of specific topics included in the survey. Major areas of concern in this investigation were (l) the per sonnel administrator, (2) the personnel office or de partment, (5) the assignment of responsibility for 22 23 specific personnel functions, and (4-) the relative ex penditure of time given to various personnel functions. Each of these four areas was considered in its relation ship to certificated and classified employees, and in terms of three district size classifications as deter mined by enrollments. Brief re'sumes are made of pertinent contributions from three major fields, here presented in chronological order according to types of sources: (l) writings on personnel administration in education, (2) writings on industrial personnel management, and (3) writings on pub lic personnel administration. So as to form a background orientation for the problem of personnel administration in education from the fields of industry and public ad ministration, writings from the latter two fields were combined. II. LITERATURE AND RESEARCH ON PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION IN EDUCATION Within recent years there has been an increase in the number and quality of general texts, research stud ies, and periodical articles pertaining to personnel 24 administration in the public schools. Despite this in crease , the results of recent research indicate the existence of numerous problems related to personnel ad ministration in the public schools which still remain to be studied. Greatest emphasis here is placed upon the litera ture of educational administration, the general area of greatest relevance to this investigation. General Texts Throughout most of the history of school adminis tration, numerous texts have been available to educators interested in this phase of public education. Earlier texts devoted scant attention to specific problems of personnel administration but, as knowledge of adminis trative practices and school enrollments increased, the need for administrative specialization likewise increased. Hence, personnel administration developed as a special ized area of district administration in most large dis tricts. An increased awareness on the part of educators of the vital role of personnel administration was seen in the fact that by 1954 texts devoted solely to this area 25 of public education became available. In the earliest texts, most aspects of personnel were presented in a gen eral manner, some vital aspects being ignored completely. More general texts on educational administration have devoted one or two chapters to the subject of personnel administration. These texts are here reviewed for their informa tional background or their specific bearing on some phase of the problem. They are presented chronologically by authors. Elsbree and Reutter, 1954. Elsbree and Reutter presented a broad general discussion of practices and trends in personnel policies and programs affecting the instructional staff, but omitted discussion of the clas sified staff (6). Seven essential elements in personnel administration were identified, as follows: 1. Only competent individuals should be ap pointed to certificated positions in the public schools. 2. The soundness of the personnel program is to be measured by the degree to which clearly formulated personnel policies 26 exist and are publicized. 3. Personnel policies should be formulated cooperatively and democratically. 4. Good human relations depend upon clarity of function. 5. A board of education should make provi sion for a continuous program of in- service education for all employees. 6. Keeping employees optimistic, alive, and interested is a function of personnel management. 7. The effectiveness of a personnel program depends upon wise administrative and supervisory leadership. (6:4-9) This volume deals extensively with the major per sonnel functions of recruitment, selection, assignment, transfer, orientation, salary programs, leaves of absence, in-service training, personnel records, morale, and re tirement. Weber, 1954. Weber focused attention upon current personnel practices and suggested new approaches to old problems (23)> his central purpose being to stimulate administrators to experiment, evaluate the results of experiments, and make new inquiries into the personnel problems of school administrators. Concerned largely with problems of the instructional staff or certificated employees, Weber devoted only one chapter to the problems of the nonprofes3ional staff, or classified employees. Topics included the selection of new teachers, orienta tion, in-service education of teachers, evaluation pro cedures, transfers, promotions and dismissals, leaves of absence, salaries, and salary schedules. Major points of emphasis were the service aspects of personnel func tions, the vital responsibility of teacher selection, and the importance of the human element in teaching in building good morale. Yeager, 1954. Yeager was concerned primarily with the administration of teaching personnel, to the exclu sion of classified personnel (24). The section of great est value to this study was a discussion of the organiza tion of personnel administration. Yeager indicated that the increasing complexity of personnel administration has brought with it a need for a corresponding speciali zation of organization and function in order to provide adequately for the many aspects of personnel services. Broad objectives of personnel administration were listed as (l) the effective utilization of all human resources associated with the enterprise, (2) the maintenance of desirable working relationships among all of its members, and (5) the development of maximum individual attainment and efficiency to the end that the enterprise prospers and human happiness prevails (24:541). Three principles of organization essential to any organization were de scribed as applying to the personnel function in educa tion: (l) span of control, (2) delegation, and (5) leadership (24: 5^-2). Size of district was described as a determining factor in the scope of personnel services rendered and the type of organization; however, the policies of the board and executive staff will also affect the organiza tion. No matter how small the district, personnel func tions cannot be omitted or neglected. Other factors af fecting the personnel organization were given as geo graphical factors, nature of community (metropolitan or rural), population characteristics, enrollments, the nature of personnel problems, funds available, board 29 controls, and the administrator's own attitudes and idio syncrasies. Whatever the size of the district and what ever its peculiar conditions, the most important person nel functions to be performed were recruitment, supply and demand, preparation, selection, orientation, assign ment, promotion, in-service education, policy making, record-keeping, dismissal, tenure, retirement, and ethi cal administration. Size of district was of primary concern to person nel administration. In the very smallest of districts, i.e., those without a principal or superintendent, the board of education assumes many personnel functions, while in other small districts the county superintendent or similar officer may exercise some of the administra tive responsibility. In medium-sized districts, the superintendent's position takes on additional personnel responsibilities, assuming greater complexity as a "constellation of tasks." The superintendent must share or assign respon sibilities to other staff officers or principals, while keeping his contacts with all personnel direct and per sonal . 33 Fifteen principles were given to guide administra tors in the development and organization of the personnel program (14:14-19). Chandler and Petty, 1955. These authors incorpo rated research findings from the fields of educational ad ministration, business and industrial management, and public administration into a preview of school personnel work for the years ahead (4). Drawing on their extensive experience in these related fields, Chandler and Petty believed that the general principles, practices, and re search findings in these areas constitute an important source of guidance for school administrators. A central thesis was that personnel administration is the real core of successful school administration, and that ways and means for achieving the ideal personnel program must be sought. A corollary thesis was that the chief personnel function is to provide an atmosphere in which the highest powers of human beings can thrive. One excellent chapter considers the administration of non- professional or classified positions. Educators have been slow in adapting and applying the important tool of management, "personnel Although difficult to determine when a medium- sized district emerges into a large district, such a level is possibly reached when there are at least 200 teachers and a proportional increase of all other em ployees. At this stage of development the superintendent must delegate a portion or almost all of the personnel functions to staff officers, assigning added responsibil ity for all activities which are of a clerical nature. In very large districts the "constellation of tasks" and the multiplicity of staff problems complicate the task of the personnel officer. Here the personnel officer must learn to operate by "objective evidence and per suasion" rather than by authority. The following objec tives should prevail in the administration of the person nel department: 1. Plan for the over-all policy of personnel ad ministration within the school system and designate the functions to be performed. 2. Locate responsibility for those functions of personnel administration which are (a) retained by the chief executive officer, and (b) delegated to the person nel officer. 31 5. Set up an organization designed to facilitate the administration of all functions previously determined and assigned to this division. 4. Determine cooperatively the techniques neces sary to administer any assigned function. 5. Plan such cooperative relationships with other staff member, line officer, and teachers. 6. Develop a system of personnel records. 7. Report regularly to the superintendent con cerning those responsibilities assigned to his office. 8. Conduct studies and engage in research and experimentation in activities associated with personnel. 9. Receive teacher requests, problems, and com plaints, and investigate all matters pertaining thereto. 10. Coordinate other services and agencies directly associated with the personnel function, such as teacher committees, educational departments of higher institu tions, and placement agencies, and in the community (24:546-47). Moore and Walters, 1953. Moore and Walters at tempted to provide a basis for planning personnel poli cies and practices; to demonstrate that there is an area of personnel administration that can be studied; and to show that mastery of certain principles in personnel ad ministration is both possible and desirable (14). They developed the concept that human relationships cannot be separated from the organization and the administrative function in either theory or practice. The need for democratic administration of human relations lends unus ual significance to the problem. Size of school district was seen to be an impor tant factor in the organization and administration of the personnel program. Extremes of smallness or of bigness seem to complicate the problem. In fact,,the best de veloped methods of personnel administration appear to be found within the medium and large districts. Line and staff organization in the school person nel structure were defined in terms of emphasis on human values; the line organization being defined as the defi nite fixing of responsibility to provide an efficient and reasonably speedy means of getting things done; the staff person being defined as the specialist who is expected to know all about one given area. 54 administration," to its problems. The fact that 70 to 80 per cent of public school funds go for salary payments suggests the importance of businesslike procedures in the employment and administration of personnel on the school staff. Personnel management is defined as that aspect of general administration which is concerned with the opera tion of the staff personnel. Staff personnel, in turn, refers to all employed persons who have a vested interest in the accomplishments of the objectives of the organiza tion (4:5). The following personnel trends important to public education were described: 1. More attention is being given to the welfare of the "less important" persons in organizations. 2. Increasing emphasis is being given to the ap plication of psychological principles in personnel man agement . 5. A genuine interest in democratic participation in school administration is replacing the lip-service in terest that has been proclaimed so loudly in recent years. 4. Personnel administration has made exceptional 36 arrangement of the office of the chief school administra tor may he sufficient to handle the personnel function properly. Increased growth would justify a separate per sonnel office headed by a director and a secretary; and further growth would require additional specialists to perform various personnel functions. In the larger school systems an assistant superintendent may be needed to take charge of personnel. Current trends related to the personnel function were summarized; among these were the following which ap peared to have implications for future developments in educational personnel administration: 1. The development of school administrative posi tions and teaching positions on a fully professional basis is in progress. 2. An increasingly greater amount of emphasis in school administration is being placed upon the personnel function. 5. More satisfactory teacher welfare arrangements and general improvement of working conditions for teach ing staffs are following the greater emphasis upon the personnel function. 55 progress in the areas of industry and the public "classi fied service" but has lagged in such areas as public edu cation and hospital administration. 5. Little writing or research has been done ex clusively in the field of public school personnel admin istration (4:19-20). Two patterns of personnel organization, the hori zontal and vertical, serve as the basis of the distribu tion of duties and responsibilities. Public schools usually utilize the vertical or unitary plan because of the advantage of making one individual responsible for the entire operation of a school system. The line of authority here extends from the board of education through the superintendent, assistant superintendent, and princi pals, to the teachers. "Horizontal" staff positions, ordinarily, are advisory in nature and do not carry com mand authority. With respect to size of organization, the princi ples of personnel administration are identical in both large and small school systems; it is only the applica tion of basic principles that varies. In a small school system which employs few staff members, a simple 57 4. All positions in public school organizations are being defined with a greater specificity, permitting a high degree of specialization in both training and practice. 5. School boards are holding open meetings and are functioning according to written policies to an in creasingly greater extent (4;588). Morphet, Johns, and Reller, 1959. A recent text by Morphet, Johns, and Reller explored the basic concepts, practices, and issues of educational administration (15). The central purpose of the text was a consideration of essential qualities of educational administrative leader ship. One of the most important single areas of adminis tration is that of personnel, for "as is the teacher, so is the school" (15:546). The significance of this serv ice area was seen in the facts that (l) more than one million certificated employees and a proportionate number of classified employees are employed in the public schools; and (2) salaries of teachers constitute 65 to 75 per cent of the current expense budget of most school districts. 38 Personnel administration was defined as a series of procedures through which those involved in an enter prise may establish common goals and work most effectively toward their attainment (15:347). They agreed with other authors who believe that the personnel function should be largely a staff responsibility. Melbo, 1957 and 1959. One chapter of the 1957 report made by Melbo and his survey staff to the govern ing board of the Pomona Unified School District was de voted to personnel administration procedures for both certificated and classified employees. The personnel function was ranked as equal in importance to instruction and business functions. With its enrollment of approximately 15,500 stu dents, 455 certificated employees, and 174 classified positions, the Pomona district was classified as medium sized. It was recommended that the board establish a position of assistant superintendent in charge of person nel, a position directly responsible to the superintend ent which would handle both certificated and classified personnel functions. These functions would include such activities as recruitment, selection, assignment, 59 orientation, in-service training, transfer, promotion, appraisal, granting of leaves and vacations, establishment of holidays, keeping of personnel records, salary schedul ing, adjustment of work loads, reclassification, improve ment of morale, and separation. Policies, principles, and techniques to be considered in the future development of a sound, well-organized personnel program were suggested. A similar survey was made of the Whittier Union High School District in 1959 (15). With its 11,790 en rollment, 579 certificated positions, and 244 classified positions, this district was also classified as medium sized. The district had already established three as sistant superintendencies— (l) instructional services, (2) personnel, and (5) special and operational services; thus the survey staff made recommendations for improve ment of the existing organizational pattern on the basis of the following generally approved standards. 1. The unit-type of organization by which all district employees are responsible through the superintendent of schools to the board of trustees should be maintained. 2. All major functions to be performed must be provided with administrative or manage ment positions to direct them and such functions should be combined in groups of 40 closely related or similar functions to in sure their coordination. 5. Every staff position should be responsible to only one higher position, and all posi tions should have a clearly indicated up ward responsibility. 4. The number of persons directly responsible to an administrative officer should not exceed that which can be given reasonably adequate supervision. 5. Titles should be used which indicate the level of control assigned to the several administrative positions. Titles used for school-level positions should not be the 3ame as those for district-level positions. Similarly, titles used for the classified management positions should not be the same as those used for certificated positions. 6. All administrative and supervisory posi tions should be aided by an appropriate number of clerical employees. 7. An efficient school district organization requires that it be planned to meet the needs of the district, and that personnel be employed to fit the organization rather than to build a plan around personnel which a district may happen to have in its employ at any given time. 8. An organization should be sufficiently flexible to allow the addition of staff members in existing types of positions and to permit creation of new types of posi tions, as required to care for district growth, without altering the basic design of the organization. 9. Authority should be delegated commensurate with the assignment of responsibility. 41 High-level administrative positions should be free to provide a high-level type of leadership. 10. Good school district organization requires that there be a plan for the coordination of administrative and supervisory func tions. (15:57-62) The following functions were designated as appro priate for assignment to the position of assistant super intendent— personnel services in the Whittier Union High School District. 1. Direct and conduct the program of recruit ment, selection, assignment, and orienta tion of employees, both certificated and classified. 2. Assist the superintendent in the develop ment of district personnel services for recommendation to the board and administer all adopted board personnel policies. 3. Administer all employee requests for transfer, promotion, leave of absence, sick leave, and termination or retirement from service. 4. Develop and maintain essential personnel records for all employees, both certifi cated and classified. 5. Assist the superintendent with the prepar ation of the staff bulletin, newsletter, and other types of communications. 6. Administer the program of providing sub stitute workers for all employees, both certificated and classified. 42 7. Conduct job analyses studies for purposes of determining proper job classification for classified employees. 8. Assist with the in-service training program for both certificated and classified em ployees. 9. Direct and conduct research for the improve ment of personnel policies, staff morale, staff communication, and community relations. 10. Administer the district personnel appraisal program. 11. Direct and coordinate the work of the per sonnel under his supervision. (13:81-82) Research Studies Within the past decade a wide variety of general and specific personnel problems have been the subject of research studies which have added greatly to the general knowledge and understanding of public school personnel administration. This knowledge is basic to contemporary developments as personnel programs become more highly organized. Nevertheless, as most authors have indicated, many phases of personnel administration remain still to be studied in the interest of scientific and professional advancement. 43 Davis, 1939. A study by Davis posed the question of whether personnel procedures used in the administra tion of certificated personnel in the public schools are on a par with those used in nonteaching services (27). Twelve cities in three states, ranging in population from 30,000 to 150,000, were sources of data for the study. Davis found no evidence of well-planned personnel pro grams for nonteaching employees, and reported that admin istrators devoted relatively small expenditures of time to classified services. Probable reasons for this neglect were given as (l) the failure of superintendents to grasp the scope of a broad personnel program, (2) inadequate staff assistance given superintendents, and (3) the lack of research concerning the crucial phases of personnel administration. As a result of her findings, Davis developed a set of guiding principles to aid administrators in estab lishing a personnel program for nonteaching employees, so that administrators would be made aware of the importance of unity among certificated and classified employees. Peard, 1948. The purpose of Peard1s study was twofold: (l) to focus attention on the growing importance 44 of personnel procedures in the administration of the teaching staff; and (2) to stress the need for special ized training of school administrators for the basic per sonnel functions (34). Personnel functions which affect elementary and secondary teachers were examined, the basic premise being that the effectiveness of the teacher is central to the successful operation of public education, and that ade quate personnel administration of teachers is therefore the most important aspect of school administration. Three recommendations were offered: (l) that college teachers and prospective school administrators give special attention in college courses to the area of personnel administration; (2) that teachers and princi pals study the background and development of teacher per sonnel so as to be familiar with the problems, complexi ties, and legal rights of teachers; and (3) that respon sibility for a personnel program for teachers be clearly delegated to a trained personnel officer on the staff of public schools. Scarborough, 1950. Scarborough surveyed the per sonnel organizations of the Mobile city and county schools 45 and proposed a personnel program for these schools (36). He recommended that the following basic functions be im plemented into the personnel programs of the Mobile city and county schools for certificated personnel: 1. Teacher selection and appointment 2. Teacher rating 3. Recruitment 4. Teacher welfare 5. Teacher certification and classification 6. Evaluation 7. Professional relations 8. Tenure 9. Sick leave 10. Retirement n. In-service training 12. Substitute teachers 13. Salaries (36:24-43) Carroll, 1952. The status and trends in teacher personnel administration in large city school systems were investigated by Carroll as a basic step in develop ing guides for planning and administering an effective personnel program (26). 46 As a result of the survey and of reviewing the related literature, Carroll observed that while business, industry, and government were quick to realize the im portance of personnel management, the public schools were slow to appreciate its importance. Originally, personnel administration was a back-slapping and picnic-arranging procedure, lacking professionalism of staff and organiza tion. While 90 per cent of the school administrators in large cities (60,000-plus population) expressed the opinion that a personnel department was needed, only 46 per cent reported establishment of such a department. A recent increase in the development of personnel depart ments was noted, an evolvement which resulted from in creased personnel problems and greater awareness by ad ministrators of the need for professional expertness in handling personnel problems. Titles used most frequently to denote the head of the personnel department were assistant superintendent and personnel director. Basic to the organization of a personnel depart ment were the formulation of a personnel philosophy and 47 an understanding of the broad purposes to be accomplished. The personnel department should be a staff unit whose director reports directly to the superintendent. Major responsibilities should Include the following functions: 1. Teacher recruitment 2. Examination of candidates 3. Selection of personnel 4. Assignment 5. Evaluation 6. Administration of policies governing a. promotions b. retirement c. teacher load d. leaves of absence e. tenure 7. Terminations 8. Personnel accounting 9. Position descriptions 10. Teacher morale 11. Liaison officer between staff and administration (26:131). Johnson, 1952. Johnson attempted to develop principles of internal organization applicable to public school administration (31). A list of 174 principles of internal organization was developed from a review of the literature in the field3 of military, government, church, industry, and educational surveys. A jury of specialists selected to evaluate these principles judged 99 princi ples to be applicable to the art and science of public school administration. These principles of internal or ganization were grouped under the following nine cate gories: 1. Principles of internal organization 2. Principles of communications 5. Charting the structure of internal or ganization 4. Principles of delegation 5. Principles of the scalar and functional organization 6. Principles of democratic organization 7. Principles of centralization and de centralization 8. Principles of the span of control 9. Principles on routine in the internal organization (51:151-62). Guide lines were also formulated to clarify the personnel administrator's relationships with other dis trict-level administrators and departments. Browne, 195*1. Browne appraised the courses on public school administration offered in graduate schools of education in the United States in an effort to deter mine the competencies needed by school personnel adminis trators (25). He noted a dearth of literature on public school personnel administration, especially in the area of classified personnel, and recommended that surveys be made of practices utilized in the administration of clas sified employees. Personnel specialists were asked to identify the major problem areas of personnel administration and to suggest competencies needed by such administrators. Twelve classifications of personnel problems were identified, as follows: 1. Democracy in administration 2. Teacher certification, pre-service training 5. Selection and appointment of teachers 4. Assignment and load 5. In-service education of teachers 6. Evaluation of teaching efficiency 7. Salaries and salary schedules 8. Tenure 9. Absence, leave, substitute teachers 10. Pension and retirement plans 11. Ethics and conduct, teacher associations 12. Problems of noncertificated personnel (25:197) The two competencies found to be of greatest im portance for success in public school personnel work were (l) personality factors and (2) on-the-job experience. Pre-service and in-service training were ranked next in order. Galluzzo, 1955. The most comprehensive investi gation of the problems inherent in the administration of school classified personnel was made by Galluzzo (29). The purposes of his study were (l) to determine the ex tent to which written personnel policies and procedures were utilized; (2) to determine the best practices of personnel management as they were found in industry, pub lic administration, and school districts; and (3) to 51 determine the basic elements and administrative princi ples of a comprehensive personnel program applicable to California public school districts for the administration of classified personnel. Galluzzo found that the field of classified personnel had been almost entirely disre garded in research and literature. His intensive analysis of the organization of the functions and structure of the central personnel agency resulted in a number of important recommendations, among which were the following: 1. There appears to be considerable justifica tion for further study in the aspect of classified personnel management of public school districts. 2. Since there already exists a personnel program for the certificated personnel and since there are many interrelationships between the classified and the certificated personnel programs, there appears to be many advantages to having one coordinating head for both programs. 5. The functions of the central personnel agency should be primarily staff functions for the purpose of offering assistance to department heads, supervisors, and em ployees in all personnel matters. 4. In the service approach, the central per sonnel agency in a school district should have staff responsibility in relation to the line units and in cooperation with the 52 central administrative staff . . . (29: 520-325) Galluzzo enumerated fourteen problem areas which needed solutions through further research, including the following two areas with which this study was concerned: 1. An analysis should be made of organizational patterns of personnel administration to determine the most practical organization for school districts of dif ferent sizes. 2. A study should be made to determine the basic functions of a personnel department in school dis tricts (29:342-343). Warner, 1955. Warner indicated personnel func tions of concern to educational administrators and formu lated basic principles and techniques that would assist administrators in performing these functions (39). He attempted to synthesize the views of authorities in the field as to the functions and responsibilities to be ful filled by a personnel office. Definitions, basic princi ples, and techniques were developed for twelve related personnel functions. 55 Wheeler, 1956. A comprehensive study was made by Wheeler of the organization, relationships, and re sponsibilities of the personnel office in school dis tricts of 10,000 to 30,000 enrollment (40). This nation wide survey sought further to determine the personnel department's relationship with other school divisions, various personnel practices, and the proper size of dis trict to start a personnel department. It also sought to develop criteria by which school districts could eval uate their own personnel functions and performances, or to aid in the development of a personnel department. It was assumed that the personnel director was assigned a district-level position responsible directly to the superintendent. Major functions most frequently assigned to the personnel director were certification, applications, re cruitment, and selection. In more than half of the dis tricts the areas of placement, retention, separation, conducting surveys of personnel policies, making internal studies to aid in the development of personnel policies, and selection of personnel for administrative appoint ments were also assigned functions. Most personnel ad ministrators performed the functions of grievance, 54 classification, promotion, termination of employment, res ignations, vacations, salaries, determining qualifications for positions, leaves of absence and retirement for clas sified employees. He found that the functions of disci pline, in-service training, pay rolls, approval of addi tional help, testing, and orientation for classified em ployees were not usually the responsibility of the person nel office. The organization of personnel departments was a relatively new concept in school district structural or ganization. In a majority of districts the personnel of fice was usually assigned a role which was advisory to certificated employees. Little relationship was found be tween the size of the district and the number of certifi cated employees assigned to the personnel office, the num ber of certificated positions ranging from one to nine. The classified positions most usually were secretarial and clerical in nature, and varied greatly in number. Respon sibility for classified employees was assigned to the business manager in a majority of districts. Nevertheless, it was recommended that both classified and certificated employees be administered under the direction of the 55 personnel office. Wheeler's formulation of criteria for the develop ment of a personnel department should be especially help ful to school districts, regardless of size. Simons, 1956. Simons' investigation contained an evaluation of current recruitment methods in California's medium-sized school districts to secure classroom teach ers (57). His study was limited to unified districts hav ing a common elementary and secondary administration. Among Simons' sixteen concise findings, the follow ing are specifically related to this study: 1. Personnel administrators reported the six most effective methods of procuring teachers to have been, in rank order of productiveness: (a) the drop-in method, (b) contact by mail, (c) college or university placement offices, (d) field trips or contacts away from the school districts, (e) California Teachers Association, and (f) recommendations from a teacher within the system (57:1^1). 2. The extent to which recruitment methods were most frequently utilized by personnel administrators, in order of the number of times reported, were: (a) college or university placement bureau, (b) field trips to 56 placement offices, (c) drop-in method, (d) California Teachers Association, and (e) contact by mail (37:l4l). 3. About 77 per cent of the districts indicated that the governing board had employed a person who func tioned as a director of personnel (37:143). 4. As to the title assigned the administrator in charge of personnel responsibilities, it was found that two-thirds bore the title of superintendent or as sistant superintendent, only five being designated by the title of director of personnel. Administrative titles were not description of actual assignment for which the administrators were responsible (37:143). 5. The time allocated by administrators to per sonnel duties ranged from 5 per cent to 100 per cent; the median allocation of time reported was 35 per cent (37:143). 6. The personnel administrator was normally re sponsible for more than one major assignment such as gen eral administration, curriculum and instruction, public relations, and the building program. There was an evi dent need for additional administrative time for person nel demands. 57 Young, 1956. Young examined the relationship of school administrators to employment, retention, and sep aration of certificated and classified personnel in small elementary school districts of California (4l). Small districts were those districts having at least six teach ers and having an average daily attendance of not more than 1,500 students. Such factors as locating applicants, obstacles in selecting qualified personnel, factors af fecting employment, evaluation for retention or separa tion, tenure practices, and causes of dismissal were in vestigated. A jury of specialists' opinions, formed the basis from which recommendations were developed for the use of school administrators. Goodwin, 1956. Goodwin conducted an intensive analysis of desirable principles and practices of teacher evaluation programs in elementary schools and the extent to which these practices were being employed (50). Major findings were presented under the headings of the history of teacher evaluation, formal versus informal programs, desirable principles and practices, and practices actually being employed. Opinions of 59 specialists from all parts of the United States were utilized to determine desirable 59 administration. Elliott, 1958. Elliott attempted to determine the status and functions of the California public school business official and to develop criteria for the selec tion of beginning business officials in districts of more than 2,500 enrollment (28). The relationship between the personnel adminis trator and the business manager was considered. Among Elliott's findings, the following were pertinent to the present problem: 1. Eighteen different titles were reported, the two most predominant being assistant superintendent in charge of business services and business manager. 2. The position operated in a line capacity; all but one district reported the unit control wherein busi ness officials reported to the superintendent. 5. The seven positions most frequently super vised by business officials were secretary, supervisor of buildings and grounds, accountant, supervisor of food services, supervisor of transportation, supervisor of warehouse, and purchasing agent. 60 4. Supervision of classified personnel was a business function in 85 to 95 per cent of the districts. 5. Twenty-one business office functions were performed in 90 per cent of surveyed districts, indicat ing general agreement concerning the functions and re sponsibilities of business officials (28:162-165). Elliott concluded that classified personnel admin istration ceases to become a business function when the district becomes large enough to establish a central per sonnel agency. Stallings, 1958. Stallings conducted a nation wide survey of sick leave programs for certificated per sonnel (58). He analyzed current policies and problems of granting sick leave and established principles for evaluating sick leave programs. The legal aspects of sick leave, and the sick leave programs of corporations, business, industry, municipalities, and governmental agencies were also analyzed. Basic principles of an ac ceptable sick leave plan were developed and evaluated by a jury of specialists. 6l Johnson, 1958. Johnson studied the manner in which procedural guide lines were developed by school districts to formulate policies relating to certificated personnel (52). Guide lines for establishing policies were studied in six areas: (1) the philosophy under which to function; (2) the procedural organization estab lished by the board; (5) the type of participation neces sary; (4) committee organization; (5) methods of communi cation between the board, administration, and personnel; and (6) provisions for the adoption, publication, and evaluation of the policies. The study was delimited to unified districts in California with enrollments of from 1,000 to 50,000 students. The purpose was to determine how personnel policies were formulated and not what the certificated personnel policies should be. Comparisons were drawn between the beliefs held by superintendents and teachers regarding the effective ness and appropriateness of participation in formulating personnel policies. Procedures found to exist in Cali fornia unified school districts were compared with the criteria recommended by a jury of authorities in educa tional administration. An excellent checklist of 58 principles and practices. Magner, 1956. A survey by Magner studied the various types of certificated personnel records being used by small school districts in California (55). He discussed the Importance, frequency of use, and functions served by specific certificated personnel records under the categories of selection, assignment, supervision, re tention, absences, termination, and payment records. Magner's evaluation of the pattern and frequency of use of such records was basic to his proposals concerning twenty-five individual records which were recommended as essential for use by small districts. It seems entirely possible that school districts of larger classifications could profit from his recommendations. Piety, 1956. The personnel functions of recruit ment, selection, and assignment of certificated personnel were investigated by Piety, who studied the powers, rights, and responsibilities of various agencies which perform these functions in public schools (55). Legal principles of constitutional law and common law were also developed to serve as a guide in these areas of personnel 62 procedures for policy formulation was developed for use by districts involved in establishing personnel policies for certificated employees. Publications of Learned Societies Spalding, 1946. Changing Concepts in Educational Administration was the title selected for the Forty-fifth Yearbook of the National Study for the Society of Educa tion (46). In this volume, Spalding contributed one chapter devoted to organizing the personnel of a demo cratic school system. Instead of defining democracy, a list of the aims of education was presented in terms of behaviors of personnel which were believed to be best in a democratic school system. Three major problems must be resolved by city school systems which seek permanent improvement in oper ation and results: (l) organizing personnel toward the end of improving work methods of employees, (2) organiz ing personnel to improve the currlculums in the school, and (5) organizing personnel toward better relationship with the administrative staff (46:58-67). 63 The participatory or committee process was indi cated as a factor basic to the maintenance of high morale. Morale improves as each employee improves in attitudes, skill, ability, and understanding. A summary of twenty- nine basic personnel principles was offered as a guide line for accomplishing effective organization of person nel in democratic school systems. American Association of School Administrators, 19^6. The Thirty-third Yearbook of the American Associa tion of School Administrators was titled Staff Relations in School Administration, a compilation of personnel pro cedures for the selection, assignment, transfer, and load of various employee classifications (42). The proper sequence of the selection process indicated the first step should be that of a complete job analysis of the position to be filled. After a statement of the essential qualifications desired, a thorough search for the best qualified candidate should be con ducted. It was further stated that the selection should be a cooperative task. In this process, districts should use an application form and should check all references of the candidate. If possible, the candidate's actual 64 teaching ability should be observed, followed by an interview and written examination. Some basic principles related to assignment were given as well as samples of well-defined transfer policies. Administrators were cautioned about the need to consider equal and practical work loads for personnel, especially in the case of new employees. National Education Association, 1951. A brief questionnaire was devised by the National Education Asso ciation Research Division to determine school district practices with respect to direction of teacher personnel in large city school systems (44). The questionnaire was sent to 212 superintendents of school systems in cities with populations of 30,000 or more; eighty-three school systems (39 per cent) reported that teacher personnel was in charge of a single officer other than the superintend ent of schools. A number of other districts reported that the superintendent had direct responsibility for teacher personnel matters but that he had the assistance and advice of other staff members. The remaining ninety- nine districts (47 per cent) reported they had no person nel administrator per se, or stated that the superintendent of schools was the one responsible for matters of teacher personnel. It was concluded that these superintendents probably depended upon other staff members for help in personnel. Of the eighty-three districts having personnel administrators, all except two reported directly to the superintendent; the other two were responsible to an as sistant superintendent. Of the eighty-three districts, fifty-eight re ported the number of certificated employees in the per sonnel department. The median numbers of certificated employees, by city population classifications, were as follows: Population over 500,000 -3.5 Population between 100,000-500,000 - 1.8 Population between 50,000-100,000 - 1.7 The median numbers of classified clerical employees em ployed in the personnel departments were as follows: Population over 500,000 - 6.8 Population between 100,000-500,000 - 2.5 Population between 50,000-100,000 - 1.8 66 It was concluded, as would be expected, that the median number of both certificated and classified employees de creased in accordance with the size of the city. With respect to titles of the personnel adminis trators, most districts used either assistant superintend ent or personnel director. The functions performed most frequently by per sonnel administrators were recruitment, examinations, personnel records, assignment, transfer, promotions, sal ary schedule, and the leave program. Other responsibil ities mentioned were in-service training, research, re tirement, public relations, teacher welfare, job analyses, evaluation, and formulation and implementation of person nel policies. American Association of School Administrators, 1952. It has been found in a study reported in the Thirtieth Yearbook of the American Association of School Administrators that superintendents, especially those in small districts, retain almost complete responsibility for the district's personnel programs (43). Eight phases of school district organization (such as span of control and delegation) were studied in an effort to determine the major functions performed by- superintendents, regardless of district size, and the re lationship of the personnel function to other functions in the total organization. It was concluded that, no mat ter what the size of the school district, personnel admin istration constitutes an area of major influence upon the instruction function. Districts which employ one hundred or more teachers are amply justified in appointing an as sistant superintendent in charge of selection, in-service training, promotion, personnel records, and other respon sibilities for both certificated and classified employees. Superintendents of city school systems devoted between 12.4 per cent and 16.2 per cent of their time to various facets of personnel administration. Superintendents of rural school districts expended approximately 10.8 per cent to 14.6 per cent of their time in personnel adminis tration. Superintendents of all types of districts indi cated a need for more certificated assistance and an in creased clerical staff in order to obtain a better distri bution of administrative time for the good of the total school program. 68 National Education Association, 1956. The National Education Association Research Division sent a questionnaire to superintendents of urban school districts which contained 64 items on various phases of teacher per sonnel administration (45). This survey was more compre hensive and more highly structured than similar question naires sent in previous years. Districts were separated into five population groups, ranging from 2,500 to more than 500,000. Several questions pertained to personnel administration. Among the more pertinent findings were the following, briefly summarized: 1. Rules and regulations that specifically out line personnel policies relating to teachers had been adopted by 70 per cent of the districts. A higher per centage of the larger districts had adopted such policies. 2. While 11 per cent of all districts employed an administrator whose duties related chiefly to person nel administration, approximately 85 per cent of districts in the two largest classifications had established such a position. Only 2 per cent of districts in the two small est classifications had done so. 5. A majority of all districts, regardless of size, did not utilize committees to handle employee com plaints. Larger districts used such a committee more frequently than did the smaller districts. 4. All districts held personal interviews with applicants. The superintendent interviewed the candidate in 89 per cent of the districts. None of the superin tendents in the largest districts performed this function, while 95 per cent of them did so in the smallest dis tricts. Young and Dlllman, 1959. In the 1959 spring issue of Caldron, a publication of the Illinois Council on Educational Administration, Young and Dillman presented an article on the "Evaluation of Illinois Superintendents Administrative Practices" (47). Their research dealt with the relationship between the importance of adminis trative functions (as determined by authoritative judg ment) and the expenditures of time and energy of Illinois superintendents. The functions of public relations, in struction, buildings and grounds, board of education, finance, pupil personnel, and personnel administration were evaluated by a jury of specialists. The rank order of both (l) importance of selected administrative functions and (2) expenditure of time and effort as reported by the superintendents is shown here: Rank order Superin tendent^ Jury Function 1 1 Employment of teaching, supervisory, and administrative personnel 4 8 Formulating school personnel policies 12 17 Assigning, transferring, and dismissing personnel 22 19 Employment of clerks, custodians, and other classified personnel 24 10 Keeping proper records 50 52 Supervising classified employees It was concluded that superintendents substanti ally agree with the experts relative to the importance of 58 listed functions. Nevertheless, superintendents of small districts did not agree as closely with the jury as did superintendents in larger districts. Two areas were ranked above personnel in impor tance --(l) the board of education and (2) public rela tions. A good relationship existed between the relative 71 importance and the amount of time expended in assigning, transferring, and dismissing. However, superintendents believed that (l) a disproportionate amount of time was devoted to employing and supervising classified personnel, and (2) they spent too little time on improving their own personal and professional qualifications. Since these findings pertain to superintendents of all district sizes (even to extremely small elementary school districts), and since very few studies were found that investigated the importance and relative time ex penditures for various functions of personnel administra tion, this report was deemed especially valuable to the present study. Periodicals Reller, 1950. In the August issue of The Ameri can School Board Journal, Reller discussed the imperative need for more adequate school personnel administration (59). Reller offered the following significant concepts which should be taken into consideration in the planning of a personnel organization: (l) Facts must be ascer tained to combat biased expressions which can be powerful 72 controllers of human action; (2) association and communi cation must be understood and highly valued; (2) involve ment must be recognized as a superior technique which should be employed in many instances; and (4) responsi bility for personnel administration must be fixed, and competency in it developed (59:14-15). The personnel ad ministrator should be a staff rather than a line adminis trative officer, even though in small districts he would undoubtedly find this function to be his most difficult area of leadership. Reller suggested that several smaller school dis tricts could band together so as to be able to employ a personnel consultant, or to utilize more extensively the personnel services of county or state offices. Districts were encouraged to recognize the value of good personnel administration and to seek men of high competency to serv ice in this area. Education, 1954. The complete December 1954 issue of the magazine Education was devoted to problems of educational personnel administration, numerous authors contributing articles to the compendium. Mones observed that a new emphasis has come into the administration of educational personnel which is quite different from the concept developed in industry (57)* The primary differ ence was found in the definition of personnel administra tion as tne responsibility of managing those dynamic fac tors and elements, human and environmental, that condi tion and determine the happiness and efficiency of people as they work in professional association. Training in personnel must consist of two major areas: (l) the under lying psychological basis of personality structure and social adjustment, and (2) the techniques and operations of professional management which will implement the opti mum psychological values (57:206). Nineteen principles of modern educational leadership were delineated. The human relations factors were stressed by Kennelly, who declared that most public school systems have found from experience that an effective and meaning ful program of personnel administration has as its basis an abiding respect and consideration for all personnel (5^). Essentially, the great task of the administrator of educational personnel is to synthesize and to provide reconciliation of all the human relation aspects of the school system. 74 An article by Cabe was concerned with the basic functions of personnel administration, chief of which was improving educational opportunities for all children through teacher morale and competency (51). The interdependency of the personnel department with other educational agencies, the professional staff and clerical employees, was the subject of the article by Wennerstrom (62). Among the most Important professional personnel functions was the recruitment of competent per sonnel to staff the classrooms. The need for cooperation with state authorities, the board of education, the super intendent, supervisors, principals, and teachers was stressed, as was the importance of clerical and secretar ial personnel. Although personnel problems may be similar among schools, the responsibilities of administrators vary with the size and standard of the school district. The basic need of all individuals, whether teaching, adminis tering, or applying for work, is to maintain self-respect. Bain stressed the need for continued research in personnel administration (49), especially in the areas of selection, certification, induction, orientation, evalua tion, assignment, transfer, teaching success, promotion, 75 turnover, substitute teachers, and organization and ade quacy of the personnel department. Research on actualiz ing the democratic ideal in personnel administration was also presented as a major need. Since the publication of this article in 195^> a number of these suggested areas have received intensive study. Others, however, remain open to initial research and analysis. The present study, in fact, has attempted partially to fulfill one of Bain's suggestions for fur ther research— a determination of the effectiveness of various patterns of personnel organization responsible for both certificated and classified employees. Butterbaugh, 1955. Noting a trend toward reor ganization of district-level administration in California school districts, Butterbaugh suggested that a primary consideration should be the best method of providing per sonnel services (50). He stated that both certificated and classified personnel services should be assigned to the personnel department. A list of twenty-four functions was compiled, each of which must be governed by fair, con sistent, and democratically-conceived standards and poli cies. 76 III. LITERATURE ON INDUSTRIAL AND PUBLIC PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION A multiplicity of personnel publications have appeared in the fields of industrial and public personnel management. These writings are generally broad in scope and exhaustive in their concern for employee welfare and productivity. If the observation is valid that the lit erature of personnel administration is more extensive in the fields of industry and public agencies than in educa tion, it possibly reflects the fact that industrial and public personnel administration developed much earlier than did educational personnel and, therefore, progressed farther than public school personnel administration. Only a few volumes were chosen from outstanding writings in industrial and public personnel administra tion for review here. As in the preceding section, these texts and publications are presented in chronological se quence, by authors. Walters, 1931. Walters' text on personnel man agement was written to clarify basic personnel principles 77 and techniques in business and industry. Conferences and detailed inspection of personnel departments and proce dures in seventy-five large and small industrial and busi ness concerns furnished much of the data (22). Walters defined personnel administration as the obtaining of an efficient human force, adapted to the or ganization for which it was intended, and the maintenance of this force in relations mutually harmonious and profit able to employer and employee (22:l). One of the impor tant justifications for personnel administration was the increase of production through improved human efficiency, a goal which pays for itself in dollars and cents. He proposed that personnel departments be as specialized in solving problems of human adjustment as production departments are in solving their problems. Personnel department organizations may be of three types — (l) line, (2) staff, or (3) a combination of the two. He indicated preference for the latter type, in which a straight line organization existed within the department, and a staff relationship prevailed in working with other major departments. Six major areas of personnel function were employment, personnel maintenance, training and edu cation, health, safety, and work service. It was 78 suggested that personnel departments be centralized for greater efficiency. Personnel organizations and func tions were discussed in terms of the size of the indus trial concern. International City Manager's Association, 19^2. The International City Manager's Association designed a text for municipal officials as a practical guide to the development of a workable personnel program (7). Con cerned primarily with personnel administration at the municipal level, with very little adaptation it could be applied to personnel problems of other jurisdictions. "Function" was defined as an activity embodying and expressing the idea of social purpose (7:7). One of the requisites of a good personnel program is a rational organization of personnel functions. Regardless of an agency's size or formal structure, there are basic cri teria which apply in planning a personnel department: 1. No need for a separate personnel agency seems to exist in cities with fewer than 750 to 1,000 officers and employees. 2. A separate personnel agency should not be established unless it was granted a minimum budget of 79 $10,000 annually. 5. Any city with a population of 50,000 or more should have a separate personnel agency and one full-time administrator. 4. Extensive consideration should be given to the number and types of employees, and to the number and kind of services rendered. It was suggested that a number of small cities may profitably contract with other neighboring small cities for the administration of special personnel serv ices. Another possibility offered was the formulation of a municipal personnel service for all agencies and de partments of municipal government. Two types of personnel agencies were found: (l) the independent board or commission, and (2) the agency headed by a single director responsible directly to the chief city administrator. The authors favored the latter type because it encouraged unity and emphasized service rather than control. The two broad functions of the per sonnel agency seem to be (l) auxiliary and (2) managerial. The service or auxiliary functions were most important to the agency's relations with other departments. 80 Three basic functions of a personnel agency were identified: influence, research, and administration. A completely centralized personnel agency was desirable, except in extremely large municipal cities. The determi nation of the internal organization of the central person nel agency is dependent upon a number of factors, among which were (l) statutory and charter provisions, (2) size of the agency in terms of employees, and (5) the size of the operating budget. During the installation period of a personnel agency, there should be an over-all ratio of one staff member for every 250 employees. After the formation period, a ratio of 550 employees per staff member should be maintained. Further, an over-all ratio of three cler ical employees to two technical and/or administrative employees was suggested as a proper balance. It was considered desirable in building up an agency to group allied activities so as to reduce to a minimum the criss-crossing of divisional lines. Typical functions of a medium-sized agency would be: (l) general administration; (2) recruitment, selection, and induction; (5) employees' records and transactions; and (4) 81 position-classification and pay plan development. Each group of functions was broken down in detail. Mosher, 1950. The underlying philosophy of Mosher and others was based on a progressive and open- minded view of the role of personnel administration in modern government, stripped of narrow conceptions and constantly subjected to the tests of experience and crit ical research (l6). "New management," as applied to business and government, turns the spotlight on human re lations, the development of leadership, and the fostering of democratic employer-employee relations. The focus of attention was on the development of policy and techniques of personnel administration that contribute to the selection, retention, and productivity of the best available talent for the public service. The civil service commission was cited as the predominant type of personnel agency in public jurisdictions, but a sig nificant trend was noted in state government and munici palities toward establishing a single personnel adminis trative officer. The standard functions of the personnel agency were listed. 82 The relationship of the personnel office was described as primarily a staff service to the principal line officer, yet exercising some control on his behalf. Seven suggestions were offered, each a method or channel through which the personnel office accomplishes its ac tivities. Size alone was recognized as a highly impor tant factor in determining the number and staffing of personnel offices. A ratio of one personnel office worker, including secretarial help and officers, for every 103 employees was considered to be a feasible norm. An unsettled question is the degree to which personnel men should operate as generalists and/or as specialists. One area in which personnel administration has made notable strides is the improvement and simplifica tion of record keeping procedures. Noting the rapid growth of public personnel administration within the last decade, the recommendation was made that further improve ment be accomplished through the continuing process of research. Brook, 1952. A text by Brook was concerned chiefly with personnel policies and detailed objectives, 83 the functions, scope, and procedures of a personnel or ganization, and the detailed knowledge required for per sonnel work (2). Sections dealing with personnel organi zation were especially pertinent to this study. Describing the personnel manager as a comparative newcomer in business administration, Brook declared that the position should be equal in status to other chief executives. The personnel manager justified his position by: 1. Interpreting in a practical and realistic manner the personnel policy of the firm; and 2. Proving that, properly applied, such a policy pays large visible and invisible div idends. (2:42) Admittedly, the personnel manager cannot administer the whole program; therefore, he should organize the many facets of his responsibilities so that they naturally merge into the everyday duties of other executives and employees. The personnel position should have line authority within his department and a staff relationship with other departments in the organization. The organization of personnel functions should take into account the number of employees, the size and 84 location of the business, the ratio of male to female employees, the variety and kind of manufacturing process, and the effect of seasonal and economic cycles (2:20). Pigors, 1952. Pigors, a leading authority in the field of industrial personnel, has been a fountain- head of ideas for succeeding writers (19). In his most recent volume personnel administration was discussed in terms of human relations, for Pigors believes that the functions of an organization are carried out by people and that they are an integral part of all personnel func tions (19). The objectives of personnel administration were given as: 1. Effective utilization of human resources. 2. Desirable working relationships among all members of the organization. 3. Maximum individual development. (19:4) A staff executive specializing in personnel is needed if objectives are to be fully realized. Creation of a per sonnel executive depends upon the size or complexity of the enterprise. Pigors and Jucius (8) both listed the personnel functions to be performed by this position, but pointed out that the kind and quality of functions are an outgrowth of objectives chosen and the individual situ ation. Pigors indicated that the most recent significant trend in management was a "humanistic" approach as opposed to the traditional approach of "control and direction." The new approach uses the following four main avenues to accomplish its objectives by applying a number of related psychological techniques: 1. Refined procedures designed to select, assign, promote, and discharge workers. 2. Employee counseling services and personal interviews. 5. Effective communications with employees. 4. Activities which promote new groups among the workers. (19:16) In differentiating between line and staff manage ment, Pigors described line management as consisting of those executives and supervisors who are responsible for attaining the objectives of the organization. Staff executives are those who provide the guidance, assistance, and tools required by the line in the performance of its tasks. Both are equally essential to the success of the 86 organization, but it is highly important that the nature of their relationships be clarified. Twelve essential characteristics were offered as the ingredients of sound personnel administration: 1. The character and moral code of the organi zation. 2. Good leadership committed in writing to high principles of administration and organization, rather than motivated by expediency and exploitation. 5. The practice of consultation and explanation, both up and down, through all echelons of the organiza tion. 4. The practice of keeping people informed. 5. Freedom for expression of points of view and attitude without fear of reprisals. 6. A total work environment that appeals to the self-respect and dignity of the individual. 7. Sympathetic consideration of people's trials and tribulations. 8. Steadiness and certainty of employment. 9. A plan of promotional opportunity. 10. Equitable wage and salary structures that 87 recognize difference in job and position requirements, as measured by such factors as knowledge, skill, difficulty, and responsibility. 11. A training program designed to help everyone perform the tasks that are assigned for the attainment of stated objectives. 12. Recognition in many ways but particularly through evaluation (19:118). Dimock, 195!?. Dimock devoted only one complete chapter to public personnel administration, but other chapters contained discussions of organization and line and staff relationship (5). Organization must be looked upon as central in all administrative operations, com bining as it does both structural and human factors. As organizations grow in size and complexity, the need for staff assistance grows. Growth also creates a problem of overcentralization of staff activities which may often create a wall between the chief executive and his depart ment. Both government and industry have difficulty in maintaining the formal line and staff structure. Both tend to mesh together as agencies expand. 88 Six principal functions of personnel were said to be recruitment, examination, certification, appoint ment, placement, and orientation. The new attitude in personnel management underscores the human element. A good personnel officer was described as one who could assign the right distribution of responsibilities between the central personnel agency and the operating program, with good organization keeping the responsibilities sep arate but cooperative. Pfiffner, 195!?. According to Pfiffner, the func tions and activities of personnel administration may vary from agency to agency, but in every large-scale govern mental operation all the basic duties or services must be performed by someone (l8). These functions and activities consist of job analysis and position classification, re cruitment, placement, promotion, transfer, employee com pensation plan, training, counseling, improvement of work ing conditions, relationships with employee organizations and unions, suspension, dismissal, and maintenance of per sonnel records. In order to maintain high morale in a large-scale organization, decentralization of the personnel services 90 function of the personnel department which is to employ qualified workers and to keep the force operating at max imum efficiency so far as human relations are concerned. Scott believed that the personnel department was essen tially a staff unit rendering the staff functions of ad vice, service, coordination, and control. The depart ment is also responsible for advising management and co ordination of the total personnel program through plan ning, organizing, and operating all of its activities. The personnel director in any establishment should be the number one organizational specialist. He or his repre sentative should be a member of all committees to ensure coordination and integration of all personnel policies. The size of the personnel department is influ enced by the number of persons in the organization, as are the personnel functions performed and the number of employees in the department. The degree of specializa tion of personnel functions is dependent upon the number of people in the enterprise. Knowles, 1955. According to Knowles, a workable philosophy of personnel management uses reason to harmo nize the objectives and values of the business enterprise 89 is needed. However, this principle is also applicable to agencies of smaller size, as are other principles of good personnel practice. It was recommended that the personnel manager be given line authority within his department, and a staff relationship with other employees and departments. Pub lic personnel administration should be a creative and dynamic force capable of attracting the best people to a government service career and at the same time become a vital, motivating force in the management process. Scott, 1954. Scott defined personnel administra tion as that activity in an enterprise which (l) strives to weld the human resources into an effective organiza tion, (2) provides opportunity for maximum individual contributions under desirable working conditions, (3) promotes individual development, and (4) encourages mutual confidence and understanding between employees and the employer, as well as between the employees themselves (20:235). A similar definition was also formulated by Waite (21). Both authors discussed objectives and functions that should be performed in carrying on the primary 91 with scientific knowledge, the objectives and values of the community, and the objectives and values of employees (9). He believed that policies should flow from a basic philosophy and suggested utilization of various personnel techniques to accomplish the objectives of the organiza tion. Both Knowles and Luck (10) declared that in gen eral the functions performed by any personnel organiza tion are essentially uniform. Both enumerated basic per sonnel functions and cautioned that the number of such functions and the degree of specialization depended upon the kind and size of organization. Baker, 1955. The text by Baker dealt primarily with personnel policies and practices of small manufac turing companies in Ohio, and for the purposes of this study was perhaps the most valuable volume found in the field of industrial personnel management (l). Many problems considered by Baker were also prob lems included in this study. Of special interest to the present study were Baker's analyses of personnel prac tices and functions, the frequency of their performance, the personnel manager, the personnel department, pattern 92 of personnel organizations, and line and staff relation ships. Data concerning each of the factors were classi fied according to two major variables: (l) size of the company as measured by the number of employees, and (2) union and nonunion status of companies. A small business was defined as one employing fewer than 200 persons, and the data were analyzed in relation to four categories of company size. According to this classification, more than 96 per cent of all man ufacturing units in America fell within the "small busi ness" category; at the same time, these firms employed no more than 40 per cent of the people engaged in manufac turing . The author stated that a good personnel program was not a luxury; there is ample evidence to prove that it assists in combatting high costs and low productivity through employee morale and enthusiasm for the job. On the basis of his survey, four major conclu sions were reached: 1. The scope and complexity of the personnel pro gram of a small manufacturing company was re lated to the size of the company. As the size of a company increases, the personnel function of the company becomes increasingly 93 differentiated from the line function of pro duction and involves greater specialization of function. In addition* the larger the company, the greater number of personnel ac tivities it has as well as the greater com plexity of content of each of these activi ties . 2. Certain types of personnel functions are re lated to the union status of the company. 3. The relationship between the union status of the company and its personnel program was much greater in the case of shop workers than in the case of office employees. 4. The relationship between the size of the com pany and its personnel practices was much closer than that between personnel practices and union status. (1:258-59) The most significant recommendations with respect to the area of personnel management evolved from his study were as follows: 1. The formal training of future owners or ad ministrators of small manufacturing companies should include all aspects of personnel man agement . 2. Training aids should be developed that will implement this formal training program and serve as a training and reference manual for owners and supervisors of small companies. 3. Authority and responsibility should clearly and definitely be delegated. 4. As the size of the company increases, manage ment should specifically plan for an expanded personnel program. 94 5. A small company should continually evaluate its personnel program in order to insure that it keeps up with other companies, that it is as economical as possible, and that it satisfied the needs of its employees as much as possible. 6. A small company should make surveys of the personnel programs prevailing in the local community either specific or general in nature. (1:259-60) Case, 1955« A former general manager of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Case related his experiences in operating that agency's personnel program (5). By the Tennessee Valley Authority Act, Congress specifically provided for a merit system outside the jurisdiction of federal civil service. All appointments were made on the basis of merit and efficiency. Initially, recruitment and appointment were the most important functions of per sonnel administration as a specialized staff activity. Eventually the agency performed most of the other person nel functions customarily assumed by personnel depart ments. The author expressed exceptional pride in the democratic procedures utilized in developing the agency's personnel policies, and in the great flexibility of func tion and organization. Employees were allowed to 95 participate in the development of all policies affecting them. The director of personnel was regarded as one of the principal staff advisors to the Tennessee Valley Authority General Manager. The staff services performed included advice on matters of organization, administrative analysis, and consultation on educational relations, labor relations, and other administrative questions. In one sense, the personnel division was highly centralized; yet it was also decentralized, in that it was necessary to set up separate field offices primarily for the pur poses of employment and training. Case indicated that "the T.V.A. story" was a sig nificant experiment in the application of the broader meaning of democracy to public administration. Its pur pose was to gain maximum participation of the individual in decisions which affected him, whether in the areas of politics, economics, or social welfare. Pfiffner, 1958. In his 1958 text, Pfiffner was concerned primarily with lower levels of supervision, or ganization for the supervisory activities, and various personnel functions (17)• Several principles of good 96 formal organization, such as the hierarchial principle, unity of command, line and staff, and span of control were discussed. Employee morale was described as an extremely im portant function despite the complexity of factors which characterize the concept. Numerous other personnel func tions were discussed primarily from the standpoint of the effectiveness of supervisory techniques. Throughout, Pfiffner stressed the staff relationship of the personnel function. Periodicals, Surveys, and Pamphlets Appley, 1939- In an address before the Industrial Relations Executives, Appley stated that the basic objec tive of the personnel executive was to assist the entire organization from top to bottom in bringing about an im provement in knowledge, skill, habits, and attitudes that will ultimately express itself productively in work and constructively in human relations (48). He described the personnel job as consisting of three major functions: (l) research to develop in management a factual under standing of the problems of organization and attitudes of 98 lower per unit personnel cost. The audit was comprised of numerous questions relative to the objectives of the personnel program, executive leadership, research, em ployment, safety and health, training, employee services, and employee and union relations. The relative advantages and disadvantages of hir ing an outside consultant or having an internal staff member to complete the audit were discussed. Many aspects of the personnel audit would appear to be applicable to public school personnel administration. Williams, 1952. A survey was made by Williams of chief personnel executives in Indiana in a study of busi ness executives, personnel organizations, programs, and practices (6l). He found the personnel position to be relatively new in many firms. Twelve different titles were commonly utilized, the most popular titles being personnel direc tor, personnel manager, industrial relations director, and personnel supervisor. The essential characteristics of a successful personnel executive were thought to be patience, tolerance, analytical ability, honesty, education, and a balanced personality. 97 employees; (2) influence, or the dynamics exerted in work ing with individuals; and (3) administration of the per sonnel program as an advisory service. Appley saw a need to centralize all personnel activities in the interest of good organization and administration. Spodlck, 1944. Spodick, too, suggested that manufacturing establishments should seriously consider the centralization of control of all personnel activities (60). He believed that personnel functions were all- pervasive throughout an organization. According to Spodick, the role of the personnel manager and his staff should be to formulate and coordinate policies, to facil itate procedures, and to serve as a specialized assistant. A suggested plan was presented to enable organizations to develop a comprehensive personnel program. Luck, 1950. A personnel audit for business was prepared by Luck, who thought it as important to make a personnel audit as to make a yearly financial audit or machinery and equipment check. He believed that all busi nesses, regardless of size, could gain from such an audit. It would enable them to produce goods or services at a 99 Regarding the personnel organization, Williams stated that size alone was unacceptable as the sole cri terion in determining the need for specialized personnel programs, since wide variations were discovered. Nearly all respondents were of the opinion that, in the final analysis, the primary objectives of personnel management were to achieve increased economy and effective organiza tion as a means of developing increased productivity. Most establishments surveyed performed similar patterns of basic personnel functions. By far the most common type of organization was the centralized staff unit. The "rule of thumb" ratio used to determine the understaffing or overstaffing of personnel departments was on the basis of one personnel staff member per one hundred employees. Size was a determining factor for the number, kind, and degree of inclusion of certain personnel practices. In looking ahead, the author observed that contin ued progress in industry depended less and less on the inanimate production factors and more and more on the human elements involved. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 1952. The Policyholders Service Bureau of the Metropolitan Life 100 Insurance Company conducted a survey of the functions of the personnel director which revealed that, historically, personnel management has outgrown the limited employment function originally assigned to it (56). Its function is now twofold: (l) service to the line organization through maintenance of an efficient labor force, and (2) develop ment of a cooperative attitude throughout the organiza tion. Detailed analyses of personnel policies, functions, and organizational structures were presented for large, medium, and small industrial concerns. In a large majority of companies personnel direc tors report directly to the president, larger companies finding it more efficient to direct personnel functions from a single centralized department. Other respondent companies not having a centralized personnel department indicated the desire and need to change to such a plan. One of the greatest shortcomings in personnel man agement was thought to be a tendency toward too much routine and undue stress on personnel programs and tech niques. The feeling was prevalent among executives that good industrial relations become effective through per sonal contact with employees. Numerous practical 101 suggestions were offered for the creation of good esprit de corps among employees. Since good employee relations cannot be created swiftly but must be allowed to develop gradually, the day-to-day contacts are the foundations on which good human relations are built. Delden, 1956. An interesting and challenging article by Delden attempted to forecast personnel activi ties for the decade of the 1960‘s (53). In light of pre dicted rapid changes, five basic principles were developed for the consideration of personnel managers: (l) Men came before machines. (2) Man is not a gadget. (5) Men must think. (4) An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. (5) Nobody wins a quarrel. It must be anticipated that the personnel man agers and departments will experience some of the follow ing changes in reacting to forthcoming rapid progress: 1. A reorganization of the personnel department to provide balance and equivalent considera tion to clerical and unorganized employees. 2. Representation of the personnel department on the Board of Directors to Influence com pany policies. 3. Membership on top level decision-making com mittees. 102 4. Integration into the management of the com pany . 5. Concern with organizational planning. 6. Communication of company purpose as well as method. 7. Broadening the personnel administrator's Job and responsibilities. 8. Employee development (growth) resulting from emphasis upon the individual and his potentialities. 9. Periodic (and perpetual) performance evalu ation and personal reviews from the Board of Directors down. 10. Flexible salary schedules. 11. Personnel auditing of methods, procedures, satisfaction quotient, and the total work environment of employees. 12. Education in the economics of technological improvements and the American way of pro duction. (53:299) In his over-all view, Delden predicted that the personnel function can be expected to expand more rapidly than man's ability to keep ahead of personnel needs. In other words, no matter how rapidly we progress, we will be unable to anticipate developing needs in time to pro vide adequately for them. 103 National Industrial Conference Board, 1938. A report conducted and published by the National Industrial Conference Board was based upon a comprehensive survey of specialized staff functions in large industries (58). Personnel administration was described as having come into such prominence during the past twenty-five years that it is now management's most recent major function. This function is essentially that of providing advice and service to all units to help them make the most effective use of human resources in realizing the objectives of the enterprise. It noted that many companies had established ob jectives, policies, duty statements, and organizational charts In amazing detail to effectuate their long-term personnel goals. Commerce and Industry Association, 1958. "Good personnel administration is good business." This was the central theme of a Commerce and Industry Association book let designed to encourage personnel administrators to take stock of how well they handle employee relations (52). Many factors (size of the firm, type of personnel, and numerous others) combine to determine the kind of personnel 104 organization best suited for a particular concern. There fore, no attempt was made to formalize an ideal organiza tional pattern. Instead, questions were asked relative to basic principles and considerations applicable to any employer-employee relationship. Questions were posed which pertained to recruitment, selection, placement, training, salary administration, employee benefits, com munications, supervision, unions, and morale of employees. IV. SUMMARY OP THE CHAPTER This chapter has presented a review of the liter ature in the fields of education, industry, and public personnel administration. Emphasis was given to writings concerning (l) the personnel administrator, (2) the per sonnel department, (3) line and staff relationships, (4) the personnel functions performed, and (5) the relative expenditure of time allotted by administrators to various personnel responsibilities was the primary objective. Information relative to both certificated and classified employees, factors affecting personnel organizational structures, basic principles of personnel administration, and current practices were also given important 105 consideration. The entire output of recent textbooks on general school administration, specific volumes on personnel ad ministration, scientific research studies, reports, and periodical articles were digested to provide a reservoir of background knowledge of the personnel function. The literature reviewed was presented in chrono logical sequence, so as to gain an overview of trends In personnel writings and viewpoints, and so as to eliminate repetition on the part of those who contributed to the problem under investigation. Greatest emphasis was placed on the literature of educational personnel administration, while only- selected volumes from the field of Industrial and public personnel administration were reviewed. The literature and studies reviewed reflected the growing importance of personnel in all three fields. Industry and public agencies preceded education in their development of per sonnel policies and practices, and writings were much more numerous, and seem to have had greater depth as a result of the early realization of the importance of good person nel practices. It is evident that public education is now 106 encountering some of the personnel problems previously met by industrial and governmental agencies, particularly in the area of developing effective organizational pat tern and structure. Within the past few years attention has also been directed to the personnel needs of public school classified employees, although many problems in this area await solution. CHAPTER III PROCEDURE AND TREATMENT OP THE DATA I. INTRODUCTION The procedures used for gathering the data for this investigation, the sources of data, and the tech niques used for analyzing and interpreting these data are outlined in this chapter. Pour steps were followed: (l) a review of the related literature, (2) personal in terviews, (3) a pilot study using a trial questionnaire, and (4) administration of the final questionnaire. The review of literature on personnel administra tion covered the fields of education, industry, and pub lic administration, and emphasized the personnel adminis trator's responsibilities, the organization of the per sonnel department, and current practices. The works of Baker (l), Pigors (19)* and Scott (20), especially, pro vided valuable background information concerning the 107 108 personnel director, his department and responsibilities. Dissertations by Wheeler (40), Galluzzo (29), and Peard (54) also gave valuable help in pointing out areas where additional research was needed. Information from the literature and from con ferences with administrators and professors of school administration helped to identify the main areas to be studied. An interview guide was constructed incorporat ing the major concepts gleaned from the above sources in the formulation of specific questions designed to carry out the purposes of the investigation. II. PRELIMINARY INTERVIEWS In order to secure reactions concerning the value and importance of the intended study, personal inter views were scheduled with superintendents and personnel administrators in a number of school districts in South ern California. An interview guide was constructed for use during the visitations. Items included in the inter view guide were designed to be incorporated in the final questionnaire if they were found to be important and pertinent. Eleven districts with enrollments between 3,000 and 20,000 were selected for possible visitations. These districts included approximately an equal number of large, medium, and small districts. Two individually-typed let ters and one postcard were sent to the superintendent of each district selected. One letter was from the presi dent of the Southern California Association of School Per sonnel Administrators, the sponsoring organization, en couraging participation and cooperation in the interviews. The second letter was from the school district in which the investigator was employed, and assured the recipient that the district approved of the proposed study and thought it worthwhile. Copies of the two letters, the postcard, and the interview guide may be found in Appen dix A. A self-addressed, stamped postcard, indicating the district's willingness to schedule a personal interview, was enclosed. From districts which agreed to participate, the following information was requested: 1. Name of person who could be contacted for the personal interview. 110 2. His official title. 3. Name of school district. 4. Telephone number to call. The postcard also provided a space for the recipient to indicate whether the district would like to receive a summary of the findings upon completion of the study. Postcards were returned by ten superintendents, all but one of whom expressed a willingness to grant a personal interview. A telephone call was made to the in dividual named on each postcard, and interview appoint ments were made. One week prior to the scheduled appoint ment, a second letter was sent to the administrator. The purpose of this letter was to confirm previous arrange ments as to the date, time, and place of the appointment. A copy of the interview guide to be followed was also en closed to enable the administrator to study it in advance. The guide listed the purposes of the interview to be (l) to ascertain the clarity and pertinency of the question; (2) to determine the value, adequacy, and completeness of the survey; and (3) to determine the administrator who should complete the final questionnaire. Ill All personal interviews were completed within one week. Administrators expressed sincere interest in the proposed study and indicated that they considered it to be worthwhile. Several suggestions were made for the improvement of the questionnaire, among them the follow ing: 1. Rearranging the logical order in which questions were presented. 2. Clarifying and rewording the questions. 5. Improving mechanical features, such as numerical order, format, division of sections, and lettering. 4. Removing duplication of similar and im pertinent questions. 5. Improving instructions for completing the questionnaire, especially as re lated to personnel functions in Part IV. 6. Increasing the number of descriptions of types of possible personnel organi zations. 7. Reducing the number of functions listed in Part IV. 112 8. Accepting the fact that the open-ended questionnaire was necessary in order to secure the type of information de sired. 9. Eliminating districts below 5,000 en rollment because only a few of such districts have two or more district- level administrators. The following districts participated in personal interviews: Alhambra City Elementary and Alhambra City High School districts Arcadia Unified School District Claremont Unified School District Culver City Unified School District El Segundo Unified School District Inglewood Unified School District Pomona Unified School District Simi Valley Unified School District Torrance Unified School District 115 III. THE TRIAL QUESTIONNAIRE AND PILOT STUDY Construction and Refinement of the Instrument During the interviews most of the administrators concurred that utilization of a large number of open- ended questions was desirable in order to give respond ents sufficient latitude to express their views and to describe current practices. After completion of the in terviews a trial questionnaire was developed incorporat ing most of the suggestions received from the adminis trators. The revised interview guide seemed satisfactory, but it was decided to run a pilot study in order to be sure that all revised Items could be understood and responded to without the aid of the personal presence of an interviewer. Two further delimitations were imposed upon the study as a result of the recommendations received during the personal interviews: (l) districts below 5,000 en rollment were eliminated from further inclusion in the projected survey, and (2) districts included in the 114 final survey were not to toe used in the planned pilot study. The latter delimitation was not followed to the letter in the case of one very large district because few such districts were available and it became necessary to include such a district to provide an adequate sample of large districts. As delimited, the study included only districts between 5,000 and 27,000 enrollment. The Pilot Study After the delimitations were established, eight een districts were selected from the northern, central, and southern sections of California for inclusion in the pilot phase of the survey. A trial questionnaire, together with two letters and a self-addressed stamped envelope, was mailed to each selected district. One letter was signed by the presi dent of the sponsoring organization. The second letter, signed by the investigator, requested the superintendent to select the administrator who was most familiar with the personnel program in his district and request him to complete the trial questionnaire. Since the central pur pose was to evaluate the questionnaire for clarity, ease of answering, and organization, respondents were 115 encouraged to make suggestions for improvement of the instrument. Copies of the two letters and trial ques tionnaire may be found in Appendix B. Within three weeks, 78 per cent of the districts had returned completed copies. The returns indicated the need for one mechanical revision. Most suggestions for improvement pertained to Part IV of the questionnaire which dealt with specific personnel functions and the administrator responsible for performing them. Respond ents found this section somewhat complicated; therefore, directions for completing the section were improved, and related personnel functions were grouped, reducing the number of responses required. IV. ADMINISTRATION OP THE QUESTIONNAIRE Following the review of the literature and the preliminary work of conducting interviews and adminis tering the pilot study, the survey instrument was revised in its final form (see Appendix C). 116 Selection and Grouping of Districts to be Surveyed After application of the delimitations discussed previously, thirty-three districts qualified for inclu sion in the survey. Information concerning enrollments and types of school districts was obtained from the California Teachers Association Research Bulletin on Salaries and Salary Schedules for 1957-58 (63)• The names and addresses of superintendents and other informa tion were obtained from the state directory of adminis trative and supervisory personnel (64). Districts ranged in enrollments from 5*350 to 22,000 students. The upper limit was increased from 20,000 to 22,000 enrollment to provide an adequate sampling of large districts. The thirty-three districts were arbitrarily grouped by size categories before the survey materials were mailed to them. The purpose of such grouping was to aid in analyzing and comparing so as to determine whether changes in size were accompanied by changes in the per sonnel responsibilities and organization. The districts were classified into three divisions, large, medium, and small. As defined earlier, the classification of 117 districts by enrollments was as follows: Large districts - 15*000 to 22,000 enrollment Medium districts - 10,000 to 14,999 enrollment Small districts - 5,000 to 9*999 enrollment Throughout the study, these categories are used for uni fied districts and for districts which maintained a com mon administration for both elementary and secondary schools. Structure of the Final Questionnaire The final questionnaire followed basically the same pattern devised for the interview guide and the trial instrument. The first page of the four-page printed questionnaire contained a letter from the presi dent of the sponsoring organization encouraging coopera tion. It also contained a brief statement of the pur pose of the study and its delimitations. Respondents were assured that all information concerning individual districts would be held in confidence. Participants were also promised a summary of the findings. Respondents were asked first to indicate present personnel practices. They were then asked to indicate their opinions or recom mendations pertaining to what practices they would 118 recommend. The survey instrument was divided into four major areas: (l) identification and description of school dis tricts; (2) the personnel administrator; (5) the district personnel department; and (4) administrators responsible for performing personnel functions and the relative ex penditure of time required for these functions. Each area was analyzed in detail. A separate chapter was devoted to each of the first three areas. Part IV was divided into two chapters because of its length and composite nature. The body of the study is devoted to the findings of the above areas. Mailing Procedure Together with the questionnaire and cover letter from the sponsoring organization, an individually typed letter was sent to the superintendent of each district, requesting his cooperation and asking him to complete the form or to select the district-level administrator whom he considered to be best qualified to answer questions concerning the district's personnel program and organiza tion (see Appendix C). A self-addressed stamped envelope was enclosed for his use in returning the completed 119 questionnaire. Prior approval of the study was not sought from the thirty-three selected districts. Earlier experience during the preliminary interviews and pilot study had revealed the administrators' keen interest in the study and the fact that the proportion of districts who would return the questionnaire could he expected to be quite high without any advance preparation. At the end of three weeks twenty-one districts, 64 per cent, had responded. A second letter and a second copy of the questionnaire were sent to the twelve dis tricts who had not replied. Phone calls and visits were also made to a few nearby districts. Six weeks after the original mailing, twenty-six districts, 79 per cent, had returned usable replies. Statistical Handling and Analysis of Data The responses to each item in the questionnaire were tabulated by frequency of response. In further analysis of the results, some tables show ratios, per centages, and rank order in addition to frequencies. Some tables also show the average number of responses 120 for large, medium, and small districts, and total re sponses for all three district size classifications. Average ratings were derived by dividing the total number of responses to a particular item by the number of dis tricts which responded to that item. It was thought that percentages were unnecessary in most instances because the survey dealt with a small number of districts. In most cases it is not difficult to rely upon mental transposition of frequencies to secure approximate percentages. Data were considered in terms of the following factors: 1. The size of districts as determined by enrollment. 2. The existing personnel practices of districts and the respondents' recom mended practices. 3. Enumeration of various personnel func tions performed within each district. 4. Placement of responsibility for per forming the personnel functions. 5. The relative expenditure of time 121 required to perform the personnel func tions. (Respondents were asked to indi cate the extent of attention based upon three categories— "continuously/1 "fre quently," "occasionally," "seldom," and "never.") 6. The extent to which responses pertained to certificated and classified employees. The data were arranged so as to indicate the ex tent to which these factors influenced the total personnel program of the districts surveyed. V. ESTABLISHMENT OP CRITERIA BY PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATORS It was desired to establish criteria of good per sonnel administration as a basis of judgment in inter preting the results of the investigation. It was decided to gather opinions of personnel specialists to serve as a panel or "jury of expert opinion." The specialists who were most closely involved in personnel administration in situations within the scope of this study, it was dis covered, were the very administrators who had already 122 served as respondents. Moreover, they were already famil iar with the purposes of the study. For these reasons, respondent personnel administrators were used as jurists in establishing criteria. They gave their recommendations as to the practices which should be followed with respect to both certificated and classified personnel. Since the districts included in the study were divided into three enrollment classifications it was thought the personnel administrator within a specific size classification would be in the best position to make the most valuable recommendations. It was believed that their recommendations concerning four major areas of study would form a useful measuring device in considering proper school district personnel practices. VI. SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER In this chapter were described the procedures em ployed in securing the data. An explanation was also given of the treatment of the data. Other items discussed were the selection and grouping of school districts, the basic structure of the final questionnaire, the mailing procedure, the statistical handling and analysis of the 123 data, and the selection of a jury of specialists to vali date the criteria. The procedures used in gathering the data in volved (1) a review of related literature, (2) personal interviews, (3) conducting a pilot study, and (4) admin istration of the final questionnaire. Literature from the fields of education, industry, and public personnel administration was reviewed to secure background informa tion and to identify the main areas to be included in the survey. An interview guide was developed and personal interviews held with nine superintendents or personnel administrators in Southern California. School districts between 3*000 and 20,000 enrollment were visited. The suggestions received during the visits were incorporated in the trial questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted in fourteen districts in which enrollments ranged between 5,000 and 27,000 stu dents. The central purpose of the pilot study was to re fine the instrument to be used in the final survey. Re spondents were encouraged to recommend improvements; as a result of their suggestions a number of clarifications 124 and condensations were made, especially in Part IV of the trial questionnaire. The president of the sponsoring or ganization, the California Association of School Personnel Administrators, Southern Section, provided a letter which was reproduced on the first page of the final question naire . The final survey was made of thirty-three Cali fornia school districts which met the qualifications for inclusion in the survey. These districts were between 5,320 and 22,000 enrollment and were classified into three divisions, large, medium, and small. Usable replies were received from twenty-six districts, or 79 per cent of those solicited. Tabulation of frequency of response was the pri mary method of handling the data, although in the case of some items ratios, percentages, and rank orders were com puted to provide more extensive analysis. Personnel administrators were used both as re spondents and as a jury of specialists. Their opinions as jurists were sought in preference to an outside group of personnel specialists because it was thought that their familiarity with the personnel program of their own 125 districts and with the purposes of this investigation made them especially well qualified for the task. The following chapter presents a discussion of the identification and description of school districts included in the survey. Information pertaining to the geographical distribution of returns and titles of per sonnel administrators are discussed, together with ratios computed for enrollments and numbers of certificated and classified personnel. CHAPTER IV IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS The purpose of this chapter is to identify cer tain facts about the twenty-six districts included In this investigation. Part I of the questionnaire requested Information about respondent districts, i.e., (l) the name of the school district, (2) the name and title of the respondent, (5) type of district organization, (4) enroll ment, and (5) the number of certificated and classified employees. Consideration is here given to each of these items. Additional information pertains to the geographi cal distribution of respondent districts, ratios of cer tificated and classified personnel to enrollment, and ratios of certificated to classified employees. Some analyses are made of individual districts, while other analyses pertain to the average responses of each of 126 127 three district size classifications— large, medium, and small— as previously defined in terms of enrollments. I. DISTRIBUTION OP RESPONDENT DISTRICTS Districts Included in the Survey At the time of this study, there were in Cali fornia thirty-three districts of the size classification and type of organization to be studied. Questionnaires were sent to all thirty-three districts. In Table I are presented the number, per cent, and kind of organization of districts to which question naires were sent. It Is seen that 6l per cent of the districts were unified and 59 per cent had a common admin istration for both elementary and secondary schools. On the basis of size, the large district classification con tained only 18 per cent of the total number of districts, while the medium and small districts constituted 82 per cent of the total. A numerical balance of the three types of districts and their sizes could not be maintained be cause of the delimitations set for the investigation. 128 TABLE I NUMBER AND TYPE OF ADMINISTRATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO WHICH QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT Type of school district Size of Large school Medium districts Small Total Per cent Unified 4 10 6 20 6l Common admin istration 2 3 8 13 39 Total 6 13 14 33 100 Per cent 18 39 43 100 129 Districts which participated. In Table II are shown the number, per cent, and type of districts which responded by completing and returning questionnaires. Usable returns were received from 26 districts, of which 17 were unified and 9 bad a common administra tion for elementary and secondary schools. Responses from unified districts were slightly higher than those from districts with a common administration. Incomplete questionnaires were returned by two districts and re mained incomplete after follow-up attempts were made. Another district expressed a willingness to reply after its bond election, but it would have been too late to be Included in the final tabulation. The following size distribution of districts was represented in the 5 large, 11 medium, and 10 small dis tricts. The highest percentage of replies, 42 per cent, was received from medium-sized districts. Listed below are the districts which returned usable questionnaires. Large districts (15,000 to 22,000 enrollment): Burbank Unified School District Modesto City School District 150 TABLE II NUMBER AND TYPE OP ADMINISTRATION OP RESPONDENT DISTRICTS Type of school district Size of Large school Medium districts Small Total Unified 5 8 6 IT Common admin istration 2 5 4 9 Total 5 11 10 26 Per cent 19 42 59 100 131 Montebello Unified School District Riverside City School District Torrance Unified School District Medium-sized districts (10,000 to 14,999): Alameda Unified School District Alhambra City School District Bellflower Unified School District Inglewood Unified School District Palo Alto Unified School District Pomona Unified School District San Leandro Unified School District Santa Ana City School District Santa Barbara City School District Santa Monica Unified School District Vallejo Unified School District Small districts (5,000 to 9*999): Arcadia Unified School District Chico City School District Corona Unified School District Culver City Unified School District Fontana Unified School District Lynwood Unified School District 132 Napa City School District Paramount Unified School District Redlands City School District Visalia City School District Geographical Distribution of Respondent Districts An effort was made to secure participation of dis tricts from the northern, central, and southern sections of the state. Table III shows the geographical distribu tion of the participating school districts, by size clas sification. No usable returns were received from seven dis tricts; of these seven, one was located in the northern section of the state. Since this district failed to re ply, the northern section of the state was not repre sented in the final tabulation. Among those which failed to respond, five were located in the central section and one in the southern section of the state. Among districts which completed and returned ques tionnaires, 27 per cent were in the central section and 73 per cent in the southern section. This distribution corresponded to the population distribution in the 133 TABLE III GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OP RETURNS Size of school districts Geographic Per sections______Large Medium Small Total cent Northern 0 0 0 0 0 Central 1 4 2 7 27 Southern 4 7 8 19 75 Total 5 11 10 26 100 154 central and southern sections of the state. Another pos sible reason for the exceptionally high number of returns from the southern section was undoubtedly the influence of the sponsorship by the California Association of Per sonnel Administrators, Southern Section. Administrators Who Responded The questionnaires and accompanying letters were mailed directly to the superintendents of the school dis tricts. The superintendent was requested either to com plete the questionnaire or to select the administrator he believed to be best qualified to verbalize the district's views regarding the personnel program. In Table IV the position titles of the district-level administrators who responded to the questionnaires are shown. It may be seen that superintendents completed 10 questionnaires, and that most of these were from small districts. In fact, one could conclude that the larger the district classification, the less likely It was for the superin tendent to complete the survey. In the majority of dis tricts, the superintendent requested another administra tor to complete the questionnaire. 135 TABLE IV TITLES OP ADMINISTRATORS WHO COMPLETED THE QUESTIONNAIRES Title of administrator Size of Large school district Medium Small Totals Superintendent 1 2 7 10 Deputy Superin tendent 0 2 1 3 Associate Super intendent 0 1 0 1 Assistant Super intendent 2 4 0 6 Administrative Assistant 0 0 1 1 Director of Per sonnel 2 1 1 4 Director of Re search 0 1 0 1 Totals 5 11 10 26 156 As a group, deputy, associate, or assistant super intendents completed ten questionnaires. Administrators with the title of assistant superintendent comprised a majority of the group. Of those who bore the three titles of deputy, associate, or assistant superintendent, 70 per cent were in medium-sized districts. Evidently the superintendent thought himself or his assistant super intendent to be the person best qualified to answer ques tions regarding the personnel program, since a total of 76 per cent of replies were completed by men occupying these two positions. Other district-level administrators who partici pated in the survey were an administrative assistant, a director of research, and directors of personnel. One small district had a director of personnel per se. II. RATIOS OP CERTIFICATED AND CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES TO DISTRICT ENROLLMENTS Information was obtained concerning the number of students, certificated employees, and classified em ployees in each school district. The information was secured so that other districts with similar enrollments 157 could use the data as a basis of comparison in appraising the number of personnel employed in their districts. Ratios pertaining to enrollments and the number of certif icated and classified personnel are presented for dis tricts within each specific size classification in the tables which follow. These data are discussed briefly. Enrollment/Employee Ratios in Large Districts Large district enrollments, as may be seen in Table V, ranged from 15,429 to 22,000 students, the aver age for this classification being 18,610 students. Ratios of numbers of certificated employees to enrollments were similar except for the smallest and largest districts within the group. The difference in the ratios between these two districts was 6 students for each certificated employee. The average ratio for all large districts was 24 students to each certificated employee. Ratios pertaining to the number of classified em ployees to enrollments were more widely varied than were those pertaining to certificated employees. The smallest ratio was one classified employee to 45 students and the largest was one classified employee to 77 students. The TABLE V RATIOS OF CERTIFICATED AND CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES TO ENROLLMENT IN LARGE DISTRICTS District enrollment Number of certificated employees Ratio of certificated employees to enrollment Number of classified employees Ratio of classified employees to enrollment 15,429 724 1-21 200 1-77 16,509 687 1-24 563 1-45 18,111 776 1-25 384 1-47 21,000 915 1-25 288 1-73 22,000 825 1-27 321 1-69 Average: 18,610 785 1-24 311 1-60 CD 159 ratio for all large districts was one classified employee to 60 students. It would be interesting to ascertain the reasons for the great differences among the ratios relating to classified employees and enrollments in large districts. The data did not indicate plausible explanations, although it could be assumed that the age and size of the school plant might be determining factors. Other factors which might apply were possibly the types of classified services provided and the degree of utilization of the school plant for adult education and community services. Enrollment/Employee Ratios in Medium-sized Districts Table VI contains similar information about medium sized districts pertaining to enrollments as related to numbers of certificated and classified employees. The smallest district in the group had 10,150 stu dents and the largest had 14,824 students. The average enrollment for all medium-sized districts was 11,742 stu dents . Ratios of certificated employees to enrollments are similar except for one district. It was somewhat TABLE VI RATIOS OF CERTIFICATED AND CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES TO ENROLLMENT IN MEDIUM-SIZED DISTRICTS Number Ratio of Number Ratio of of certificated of classified District certificated employees to classified employees to enrollment employees enrollment employees enrollment 10,150 450 1-25 178 1-57 10,250 450 1-25 275 1-57 10,292 425 1-24 160 1-64 10,419 447 1-25 212 1-49 10,809 412 1-26 264 l-4l 10,878 656 1-17 495 1-22 12,000 550 1-22 190 1-65 12,500 555 1-25 539 1-40 15,042 504 1-26 225 1-58 14,000 550 1-25 26l 1-54 14,824 622 1-24 555 1-45 Average: 11,742 509 1-25 266 1-44 140 l4l atypical because of the ratio of one certificated em ployee to 17 students. The over-all ratio for these dis tricts was one certificated employee to 23 students. Comparison of the ratios between the large and medium sized district classifications shows them to be about the same. Great diversity existed in the ratios of classi fied employees to enrollment, as was true with the large districts. The difference amounted to 42 students per classified employee for medium-sized districts. The ratio for all districts in the medium classification was 44 students to each classified employee. This was the lowest ratio of classified employees to enrollments among the three district size classifications. One district had a ratio of 22 students per classified employee, which was the lowest such ratio for all districts in cluded in the study. Enrollment/Employee Ratios in Small Districts Table VII presents ratios of numbers of certifi cated and classified employees to enrollments for small school districts. The smallest district in the survey TABLE VII RATIOS OF CERTIFICATED AND CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES TO ENROLLMENT IN SMALL DISTRICTS Number Ratio of Number Ratio of of certificated of classified District certificated employees to classified employees to enrollment employees enrollment employees enrollment 5,350 231 1-24 72 1-74 6,000 232 1-26 96 1-63 6,600 300 1-22 160 1-41 6,900 277 1-25 137 1-50 6,974 283 1-25 l4l 1-49 7,000 325 1-22 100 1-70 7,800 370 1-21 200 1-39 8,136 327 1-25 150 1-54 8,148 321 1-25 187 1-44 8,800 365 1-24 150 1-59 Average: 7,171 303 1-24 139 1-52 ro 143 had an enrollment of 5*350 students. The average enroll ment for all districts classified as small was 7*171 stu dents . Ratios of numbers of certificated employees to en rollments showed only slight variations. The ratio of one certificated employee to 24 students for all small districts was identical to the composite ratios for large districts and almost the same as that for medium-sized districts. Classified employee ratios showed the same range of differences as in the large and medium districts. All small districts had a ratio of one classified employee to 52 students. Medium-sized districts had the lowest ratio of classified employees to enrollments, and large dis tricts had the highest ratio. Ratios of Certificated to Classified Employees Further relationships are displayed in Table VIII which presents the ratios of certificated to classified employees for all districts of the three size classifica tions . 144 TABLE VIII RATIO OP CERTIFICATED TO CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES Ratio of certificated to classi- District size fied employees Large 1 classified to 2.5 certificated Medium 1 classified to 2 certificated Small 1 classified to 2 certificated Average 1 classified to 2 certificated 145 Although certificated-to-classified employee ratios were not given for individual school districts, ratios shown for large, medium, and small districts dis close a high degree of consistency. Therefore, one cer tificated to 2 classified employees should he a proper ratio for most school districts of the size classifica tions included in the survey. However, large districts as a group had the highest ratio, requiring more classified employees to maintain appropriate district services. Since additional information pertaining to the various factors relating to certificated to classified employee ratios was not obtained, the specific reasons for the existence of higher ratios in large districts could not be determined. It would be expected that such factors as the number, size, and condition of school plants would be important factors, as would the factors of number, type, and quality of services provided by dis tricts, but this problem was beyond the scope of the present survey. III. SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER 146 The purpose of this chapter was to Identify and describe the school districts which participated in the survey which furnished the major portion of the data se cured for this investigation. Information concerning (1) the name of the school districts, (2) name and title of the respondents, (5) types of district organization, (4) enrollments, and (5) the number of certificated and classified employees, was tabulated and analyzed. After applying the delimitations for the survey, it was found that thirty-three districts qualified for inclusion as respondents. Of this number, seventeen unified districts and nine districts which had a common administration for elementary and secondary schools re turned usable questionnaires. The size distribution of participating districts included five large, eleven medium-sized, and ten small districts. Among replies received, 75 per cent were from dis tricts in the southern section of the state of California and 27 per cent from the central section. Districts from northern California were not represented in the final tabulation. 147 Most of the administrators who responded to the questionnaire were superintendents and assistant super intendents. Other positions represented were directors of personnel, an administrative assistant, and a director of research. Superintendents responded most often for the small districts, while assistant superintendents com pleted most of the questionnaires for the medium-sized districts. Ratios of the numbers of certificated to classi fied employees were computed for each school district as well as for all districts Included in each of the three district size classifications. Ratios of numbers of certificated personnel to enrollments, and of numbers of classified personnel to enrollments, were also computed. The former ratios were found to be somewhat uniform, while ratios for classified employees to enrollments were less uniform. Further ratios pertaining to certificated and classified employees indicated that most districts employed two certificated employees for every classified employee. As a group, the large districts had a slightly higher ratio than did medium or small districts. CHAPTER V THE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR I. INTRODUCTION This is the second of five chapters in which are reported the results of a questionnaire survey of exist ing and recommended practices and policies of personnel administration in selected California school districts as reported by school district personnel administrators. In this chapter consideration is given to the role of the district-level personnel administrator. The ever-expand ing emphasis upon sound personnel administrative practices has had interesting repercussions in public education. The position of the personnel administrator has become in creasingly specialized, serving a vital function in most school districts and carrying an increasing load of responsibility. Many California school districts are at tempting to provide effective leadership in the area of 148 personnel administration. Regardless of district size, organizational struc ture, or availability of funds, all school districts must perform certain basic personnel functions. Even the smallest must recruit, employ, supervise, and pay its employees. It has been estimated that from 'JO to 80 per cent of the district budget is expended for salaries and instructional supplies. This large expenditure requires businesslike practices; and how well these practices are performed depends upon how well the personnel function is performed. And this is just one of the many phases of the personnel program. The administrator responsible for the personnel program must be highly competent and his practices must be evaluated and re-evaluated constantly. In investigating the role of the administrator who is responsible for the personnel program, an attempt was made to determine the following things about his position: (l) the administrator responsible for person nel and his title, (2) his responsibility for certifi cated and classified employees, (5) the need for a dis trict-level personnel administrator as related to enroll ment, (4) various factors influencing this need, (5) the 150 percentage of time allotted by the personnel administra tor and the business manager to the personnel program, and (6) the other areas of responsibility assigned to the personnel administrator. Part II of the questionnaire contained items requesting respondents to indicate their district practices In regard to these six aspects of the administrator’s role, and then to state what they thought the practices should be. In presenting the data, these two types of response are referred to as "existing prac tices" and "recommended practices." Both responses, existing and recommended practices, are given in the same table, so that comparisons may be made quickly and sim ilarities and differences clearly seen. II. ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR PERSONNEL Administrator Largely Responsible for the Personnel Program All districts which returned usable questionnaires specified the title of the administrator who was respon sible for the personnel program of the district. The 151 personnel responsibility was assigned to a variety of ad ministrators, depending usually upon the size of the dis trict. The data given in Table IX show eight classifica tions of administrators to be largely responsible for the district personnel programs. Existing practices. In spite of the relatively large number of different administrative titles given, the data reveal that there was a noticeable relationship between the size of the district and the position respon sible for personnel. It is to be noted that in large districts the superintendents did not assume the major responsibility for personnel. Personnel directors were assigned this task in a majority of the large districts, the assistant superintendent also being involved fre quently. In one large district, an assistant superin tendent was responsible for the certificated personnel and a business manager for the classified employees. Medium-sized districts most frequently assigned the personnel responsibility to an assistant superintend ent, even though he did not bear this precise title. The position was also designated as a deputy or associate superintendent. Relatively few superintendents retained TABLE IX ADMINISTRATOR LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR PERSONNEL Existing factors Recommended factors Administrator District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Superintendent - 2 4 6 - 1 3 4 Assistant superintendent 2* 3 - 5* 2* 6* 1 9 Associate superintendent - 1 - 1 - - - 0 Deputy superintendent - 2 1 3 - - 1 1 Personnel director 3 2 3 8 3 5* 3 11 Business manager 1* - - 1* 1* - - 1 Director of special services - 1 - 1 - - - 0 Administrative assistant - - 2 2 - - 2 2 Total 6 11 10 27 6 12 10 28 * Respondents denoted more than one administrator. the major personnel responsibility. The personnel direc tor was named less frequently in medium-sized districts than in large or small districts. Small districts, as might be expected, indicated that the superintendent was most frequently responsible for the personnel program. Surprisingly, the position of the personnel director was the administrator mentioned next most frequently. Even though three each of the large and small districts indicated that the personnel director was largely responsible for personnel, this yielded a higher percentage in the large districts because there were fewer large districts included in the study. Thus, the position of tne personnel director ap pears in all three district sizes but a separate person nel department was in evidence in only the large dis tricts. In two small districts an administrative assist ant was assigned the major responsibility for personnel. In these particular offices, he performed the personnel functions in addition to his other duties. Prom this analysis it was evident that increased specialization of the personnel functions accompanies enrollment increases of a school district. The 154 superintendent carries the major responsibility for the personnel program in small districts, an assistant super intendent in medium-sized districts, and the personnel director in large districts. In brief summary of the responses from all dis tricts, regardxess of size classification, the assistant superintendent is most frequently responsible for person nel. Next in order of frequency are the personnel direc tor and the superintendent. Recommended practices. Respondents from all large districts recommended that current practices be continued. All large district respondents advocated that the super intendent not assume the major responsibility for the per sonnel program; rather, either the personnel director or the position of assistant superintendent should carry that responsibility. Only one medium-sized district representative rec ommended that the superintendent assume the personnel duties. An assistant superintendent was most often rec ommended to carry responsibility for personnel; the ad ministrator recommended next most frequently was the personnel director. Almost half of the medium-sized 155 districts concurred In this recommendation. Districts of this size felt that an assistant superintendent or per sonnel director should have the major responsibility for the personnel program. Recommendations from the small districts were not conclusive regarding the position that should be respon sible for personnel. Most recommendations followed cur rent practice. The superintendent and personnel director were endorsed most frequently; the assistant superintend ent and administrative assistant next most frequently. Combined recommendations from all districts indi cated most frequently that the personnel director should be responsible for the personnel program. Second in rank order was the assistant superintendent; followed by the superintendent. Title of the Personnel Administrator Districts were requested to designate the title of the administrator having the major responsibility for personnel. It was the intent of the question to discover if the administrator's title indicated the nature of his assigned responsibility. It was also the intent to determine the relationship of the title to district size. 156 Table X reveals the replies of the twenty-six districts. Existing; practices. Twelve different titles were used. The title found most commonly in large districts was that of personnel director. In other large dis tricts the titles did not suggest personnel responsibili ties. Slightly more than half of the medium-sized dis tricts used some form of the title "assistant superin tendent." These titles did not denote responsibilities for the personnel program, even though this was the major assignment. In small districts, the title "superintendent" was used slightly more often than the title "personnel direc tor." Possibly in small districts superintendents who retain major responsibility for personnel rely heavily upon assistants and/or school principals to share the personnel responsibilities. Administrative assistant was the title used by two small districts. This title suggested that the position might include several other areas of responsibility. These results indicate little uniformity among districts as far as personnel titles are concerned. TABLE X TITLE OF THE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR Existing factors Recommended factors Title District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Superintendent 1 4 5 1 3 4 Deputy superintendent - 1 1 2 - 1 1 2 Assistant superintendent 1 - 4 1 3 - 4 Instruction 1 - 1 - - - 0 In charge of personnel - - 0 1 - 1 2 Educational services - 1 - 1 - 1 1 2 Special services - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 Personnel director 3* 3 8 3 4 2 9 Assistant personnel director - 1 - 1 - - - 0 Business manager 1* - 1 - - - 0 Director of special services - 1 - 1 - - - 0 Administrative assistant - 2 2 - - 2 2 Total 6 11 10 27 5 11 10 26 * The respondent from one large district listed two titles. 158 When the three different size classifications are consid ered separately, titles appear to be applied with some degree of relative frequency. The title used most fre quently by large districts was that of personnel direc tor; in medium-sized districts it was assistant superin tendent; and in small districts it was superintendent and personnel director. Pew of the titles suggested that the position carried personnel responsibilities. Recommended practices. Large districts recom mended the same titles they were currently using, as did medium-sized districts. Large districts recommended most frequently the title of personnel director, and medium sized districts the title of assistant superintendent. Small districts recommended most frequently use of the titles superintendent and assistant superintendent. One small district suggested that the title be changed from personnel director to assistant superintendent in charge of personnel. Several titles such as assistant superintendent in charge of instruction, assistant personnel director, business manager, and director of special services were not recommended for continued usage. 159 Considering the recommendations of all districts* the two titles most commonly endorsed, in order of fre quency, were those of assistant superintendent and per sonnel director. Administrator Responsible for Certificated Personnel Educational literature revealed that the adminis tration of personnel is usually organized under either of two methods. One, the centralized plan, places both the certificated and classified personnel under the respon sibility of one administrator. This plan is more fre quently found in districts larger than those included in this study. The second method, the decentralized plan, places the responsibility for the personnel program under two or more administrators. One administrator may be responsible largely for the certificated personnel and another for classified employees. This method is com monly found in districts of the sizes used in this study. There are many variations of the decentralized plan, al though a few general patterns prevail. Each respondent was asked two questions, "Which district administrative position is responsible for 160 certificated and classified employees?" and, immediately following, "Which administrator do you think should be responsible for the certificated and classified employ ees?" Table XI discloses the responses of administrators who were responsible for certificated personnel. Existing practices. In 60 per cent of the large districts the personnel director assumed the major re sponsibility for personnel functions related to the cer tificated staff. An assistant superintendent carried this responsibility in the remaining large districts. It was noted that neither the superintendent nor business manager had the major responsibility for certificated personnel. In three large districts the personnel direc tor was responsible for both certificated and classified employees. A majority of the medium-sized districts assigned certificated personnel responsibilities to an assistant, associate, or deputy superintendent. A director of spe cial services and two personnel directors were responsible for both certificated and classified employees. Only one superintendent retained responsibility for certificated personnel. TABLE XI ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEES Administrator Existing factors Recommended factors District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Superintendent - 1 3 4 - 1 - 1 Associate superintendent - 1 - 1 - - - 0 Deputy superintendent - 2 1 3 - 1 1 2 Assistant superintendent 2 4 1 7 2 4 5 11 Administrative assistant - - 2 2 - - 2 2 Personnel director 3 2 3 8 3 5 2 10 Director of special services - 1 - 1 - - - 0 Total 5 11 10 26 5 11 10 26 T9T 162 Half of the small districts indicated that an assistant superintendent or administrative assistant was responsible for the certificated personnel program. More superintendents of small districts assumed this task than did superintendents of large and medium-sized districts combined. It was interesting to note that six small dis tricts assigned both certificated and classified employees to a single administrator. All three personnel directors, two administrative assistants, and one assistant super intendent were assigned such dual responsibilities. Considering all districts, regardless of size classification, an assistant to the superintendent was most frequently responsible for the certificated person nel; this occurred in half the districts. In second rank order was the personnel director. A slight majority of respondents reported the use to some degree of a cen tralized plan; analysis of individual responses, however, disclosed that most districts do not possess a major per sonnel department per se. Therefore, these findings sug gest a gradual acceptance of some form of centralized personnel organization. 165 Recommended practices. Recommendations from all large districts were identical to the practices currently being employed. More than half of the respondents recom mended that the personnel director be responsible for the certificated personnel. The remainder of the large dis tricts indicated that an assistant superintendent assume this responsibility. About half of the respondents from medium-sized districts believed that an assistant superintendent should be responsible for certificated personnel, the other half favoring the personnel director. Two responses recommended that the title of personnel director be changed to assistant superintendent in charge of person nel. One superintendent of a medium-sized district was of the opinion that his position should retain certifi cated personnel responsibilities. Respondents from small districts recommended more changes than did those from the other two district clas sifications. A major recommendation offered was that the superintendent delegate certificated personnel re sponsibilities to an assistant superintendent. In actual practice, three superintendents were carrying certificated 164 responsibilities, but they recommended that this author ity be delegated to an assistant. Some 60 per cent of the small districts indicated the belief that an assistant superintendent should assume the responsibility for certificated personnel. Of the remaining small districts, two recommended that the per sonnel director be responsible for certificated person nel and two endorsed an administrative assistant. Considering all districts, the two positions most frequently recommended as those which should handle cer tificated personnel duties were (l) the assistant super intendent and (2) the personnel director. A few dis tricts Indicated that the personnel director should be placed at the assistant superintendency level. Administrator Responsible for Classified Employees It was desired to ascertain the district-level administrator who was responsible for personnel functions pertaining to classified employees. It was also desired to ascertain the opinions of respondents concerning the position which should carry this responsibility. Table XII presents the data concerning existing and recommended TABLE XII ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES Existing factors Recommended factors Administrator District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Assistant superintendent . 1 1 2 1 1 2 Deputy superintendent - 1 1 2 1 1 2 Assistant superintendent--personnel - - - 0 1 - 1 Assistant superintendent--business services 1 5 1 7 3 1 4 Assistant superintendent--special services - 1 - 1 1 - 1 Administrative assistant - - 2 2 - 2 2 Business manager 2 - 2 4 2 2 4 Director of personnel 3 2 3 8 3 4 3 10 Director of special services - 1 - 1 - - 0 Total 6 11 10 27 5 11 10 26 H CT \ 166 practices related to the personnel administration of classified employees. Existing practices. Analysis of the responses shows that the position of the superintendency was in no district directly responsible for classified employees. In all districts, regardless of enrollment, he delegated this responsibility to an assistant. It was previously noted that only four superintendents (chiefly those in small districts) were largely accountable for personnel functions concerning certificated employees. An assistant superintendent in charge of business services (or business manager) performed various person nel functions for classified employees in more than half of the large districts. The other position having these duties was the personnel director. In two large dis tricts the personnel director had full responsibility for both certificated and classified employees. About three-fourths of the administrators respon sible for classified employees in medium-sized districts were at the assistant superintendency level. The titles were assistant superintendents in charge of business, business services, or special services. The title of 167 business manager was not used by medium-sized districts, although two large and two small districts denoted such a title. The position of the personnel director was the administrator named next most frequently as being respon sible for classified employees. Joint responsibilities for certificated and classified personnel were assigned to three administrators of medium-sized districts. Small districts resorted to the use of four dif ferent administrators to perform the classified personnel functions. They were, in order of frequency of mention, an assistant superintendent, a personnel director, a business manager, and an administrative assistant. Small districts had the largest number of administrators re sponsible for both certificated and classified personnel. There were six such districts. Combining districts of all three size classifica tions, responsibility for classified employees was most frequently assigned to an assistant superintendent. The position named next in rank order was the personnel director. Recommended practices. Recommendations regarding the administrator who should be responsible for 168 classified employees are shown in Table XII. All large districts recommended the same practices they were currently employing in regard to the assignment of classified administrative responsibilities. Of the five large districts, three recommended that an assistant superintendent be responsible for classified employees; the other two endorsed the assignment of the personnel director. There were four medium-sized districts that made recommendations differing from current practice, although in analyzing the responses only two districts indicated a desire to shift the responsibility for classified employees to a different district-level administrator. It was recommended by one district that the responsibil ity for the classified staff be assigned to the personnel director instead of to the assistant superintendent in charge of instruction. Another district thought the assistant superintendent in charge of personnel instead of the business office should assume this responsibility. If the recommendations of these two districts were incor porated, a single administrator would be responsible for all personnel. The other two districts were primarily 169 recommending a change in titles instead of responsibili ties. All small districts followed the pattern of re sponse of the large districts and recommended that the assignment of responsibility for the classified staff re main the same as at present. No change in position titles was recommended. The positions named most frequently in recommend ing responsibility for classified employees were (l) the assistant superintendent and (2) the personnel director. II. ESTABLISHMENT OP THE PERSONNEL POSITION AS RELATED TO ENROLLMENT The Need for a Personnel Administrator as Related to Enrollment An effort was made to determine when (in terms of district enrollment) a district was justified in creating an administrative position with major personnel responsi bilities. Little information was provided in published writings as to when this step should be taken in relation to district size. Each respondent was asked to estimate the approximate enrollment figure which supported assignment of a part-time, a half-time, and a full-time personnel administrative position. Table XIII discloses the responses to this question. Here are shown the aver age enrollment figures for all three district size clas sifications. A large number of districts failed to give an enrollment figure. This omission may have resulted from the district's having no personnel position, as such, in the central office; or from the fact that the specific enrollment figure was not known by the respond ent; or from the respondent's feeling that he was not qualified to estimate the needs at various enrollment levels. Part-time personnel administrator. A part-time administrator was defined as one who devotes less than half of his time to the personnel program of a district. Large districts indicated that an administrator with part-time personnel duties was assigned when enroll ments reached an average of 9,333 students. The lowest enrollment given for the establishment of a part-time position was 7,000; the highest given was a 12,000 en rollment figure. TABLE XIII WHEN A PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR WAS EMPLOYED AS DETERMINED BY ENROLLMENT District size Enrollment when personnel position was first needed or established Part-time* No answer Half-time* No answer Pull-time* No answer Large 9,535 2 12,250 1 13,875 1 Medium 4,750 3 6,285 4 10,000 5 Small 4,600 5 6,666 1 6,900 5 Averages 6,227 10 8,400 6 10,258 11 ♦Averages 172 Responses from medium-sized districts stated that a part-time personnel position was needed or established when the enrollment reached 4,750 students. One district indicated the need for such a position at 1,000 enroll ment. At the opposite extreme, another district did not establish a part-time personnel position until its en rollment had reached 10,000 students. One medium-sized district reported that a personnel position per se did not exist because their personnel program was highly de centralized. Another respondent stated that the superin tendent was responsible for the total personnel program in the district. Only five small districts responded to the question concerning the establishment of a part-time position. Re turns from these districts indicated that such a position was established at an average 4,600 enrollment. An en rollment of 3,000 was the lowest figure given by a small district and 7*000 the highest. Surprisingly, only one small district reported that a part-time personnel posi tion did not exist; it is possible that in the other four districts which gave no response the same situation existed. 173 The combined data for all three size groups indi cate that medium and small districts established part-time personnel positions much earlier than did large districts. The data did not reveal why large districts waited until their enrollments had reached approximately 9,000 before adding a part-time personnel administrator. Possibly the trend toward employment of a personnel administrator was not well established in public education at the time when these particular large districts had had lower enrollments. Half-time personnel administrator. Nowadays dis tricts rather generally recognize the value of a planned personnel program and are tending to establish personnel positions at the district level. An exhaustive search of the literature revealed an almost complete lack of re search on the problem of the relationship between district- employed personnel administrators and district enrollments. Usually a half-time position with an appropriate title denoting personnel responsibilities is established first. It was the intent of this section to determine the prac tice now being followed by California districts in estab lishing such personnel positions. 174 The results of this part of the survey revealed that the average enrollment of the large districts respond ing was 12,250 when they employed a half-time administra tor of personnel or developed a half-time personnel posi tion. One district indicated that such a position was started at the 15*000 enrollment level; another estab lished a similar position at the 10,000 enrollment level. It is to be expected that factors peculiar to the individ ual district would determine the enrollment level at which creation of a half-time or full-time position was most practicable. It was found in medium-sized districts that an average enrollment of 6,285 existed at the time when a half-time personnel position was established, or its need recognized. One medium-sized district started the half- time position at 4,000 enrollment; another at 12,000 en rollment . In small districts the average enrollment was 6,666 when the half-time personnel position was created. It will be noted that this average enrollment figure was similar to that of the medium-sized districts. (Replies from medium and small districts, it will be recalled, were 175 also similar regarding the developing of a part-time per sonnel position.) Two small districts indicated that a half-time position was established at the 5,000 enrollment level. In large districts the average enrollment level for the establishment of a half-time personnel position was almost double that in medium and small districts. Full-time personnel administrator. With respect to full-time positions in personnel administration, it was found that, on the average, large districts inaugurated a full-time personnel position at the 15>875-enrollment level. In one district such a position commenced at the 8,000-enrollment level, while In another district, estab lishment of the full-time position was deferred until its enrollment reached the 18,000 level. These were the two extremes for large districts. One large district which did not reply had a decentralized personnel organization with two administrators responsible for the total person nel program. Medium-sized districts Indicated that a full-time personnel administrator was needed when the district en rollment grew to 10,000 students. The superintendent 176 retained the personnel responsibility in one district. The two extremes of enrollment in this size category were 8,000 and 12,000 students, respectively. Estimated en rollment figures were not given by 47 per cent of the medium-sized districts. It was no doubt difficult for medium (and small) districts to project such an estimate because a majority of these districts were decentralized. Possibly because full-time personnel positions were not established in small districts, 50 per cent did not reply to this question. Those who replied indicated that a full-time position was established or needed at an aver age enrollment of 6,900 students. (This enrollment figure for small districts is an increase of only 500 over the enrollment figure given for a part-time personnel position. For this reason, it is believed that the estimated enroll ment figures given for the full-time position have little if any validity.) A full-time position was established or needed by two small districts at the 5*000-enrollment level. Most other small districts began such a position at the 7,000-enrollment level. 177 Recommendations Regarding Establishment of Personnel Positions as Related to Enrollments After requesting districts to give the enrollment levels at which administrative personnel positions were established, respondents were asked to recommend, in terms of enrollment, when a district of their size classi fication should add a part-time, half-time, and full time personnel administrator. It was the purpose of this question to secure recommendations upon which other dis tricts of similar size would be able to make sound judg ments regarding the establishment of personnel positions. Table XIV exhibits the enrollments recommended by respond ents . Recommended enrollment for a part-time position. It was recommended that large districts employ a part- time personnel administrator when they attained an enroll ment of 8,000 students. In actual practice, they were establishing the position at a slightly higher enrollment. An enrollment of 5>000 was the lowest recommendation, and an enrollment of 10,000 was the highest. TABLE XIV RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING ESTABLISHMENT OP PERSONNEL POSITIONS AS DETERMINED BY ENROLLMENT District size R e c o m m ended p r a c t ices Part-time* No answer Half-time* No answer Full-time* No answer Large 8,000 1 11,000 1 15,500 - Medium 4,714 4 8,055 2 11,800 1 Small 4,700 5 6,800 - 8,944 1 Average 5,804 8,6l8 ll,4l4 ♦Averages H oo 179 Medium and small district respondents recommended approximately the same enrollments for establishment of tne part-time position. The average enrollment period for these two district classifications was about 4,700 although there was an extremely large span between the lowest and highest enrollment recommendations. It was recommended that large districts be almost twice as large as medium and small districts before in augurating a part-time personnel position. Recommended enrollment for a half-time position. The large districts indicated that they would employ a personnel administrator at a lower enrollment level than they did in actual practice. In practice, the half-time position started when average enrollments reached 12,250; in theory, they recommended that it start at the 11,000- student level. The medium-sized districts indicated that they would wait until the enrollment reached 8,055# while in practice they were employing a half-time position at the 6,285-student level. The small districts recommended practically the same figure as existed in actual practice. They were employing a half-time personnel administrator at the 6,600 enrollment level and recommended that it be 180 at the 6,800 level. Recommended enrollment for a full-time position. All but two of the twenty-six districts made recommenda tions pertaining to the employment of a full-time person nel administrator. The large districts recommended that such a person be employed when the enrollment reached 13,500; the medium-sized districts recommended an 11,800- enrollment level, and the small districts an 8,944-enroll ment level. In relation to the actual practice of the districts, the large district recommendations were about the same as in actual practice, while the medium and small district recommendations were that enrollments could be greater before requiring the services of a full-time per sonnel administrator. There were marked differences of opinion among re spondent administrators regarding the proper enrollment levels at which full-time personnel positions should be created. These differences appeared among districts of the same size classification. In spite of this lack of uniformity of opinion within respondent groups, it is be lieved that the recommendations received will provide in formation of value to administrators in other districts l8l as they consider the establishment of personnel positions in relation to the various stages of enrollment growth. Factors Which Influence the Establishment of a Personnel Administratorship Undoubtedly, districts of different sizes establish personnel positions at different enrollment levels be cause of factors peculiar to the individual district. Respondents were asked, "What factors influenced your school district in providing for a personnel administra tor?" Their replies are discussed in this section. All districts carry on programs of personnel admin istration, whether or not they have a formalized plan or statement delineating this responsibility. Regardless of its size, each district, in order to operate its schools, must employ certificated and classified personnel; and the administrator to whom these employees are responsible is a personnel administrator, even though he may not be so titled. According to the present definition, a person nel administrator is the administrator in the school dis trict who is responsible for personnel. It matters little what title he bears. In Table XV, the respondents dis closed the factors which influenced their district to TABLE XV FACTORS INFLUENCING DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE A PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR Existing factors Recommended factors District enrollment size District enrollment size Factor ---------------------------- ---------------------------- Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total District growth (enrollment) 4 Added administrative responsibility 1 Size of district Turnover 2 Maintenance of accurate personnel records 3 Administration of personnel problems 1 Recruitment 2 Credential complexity 1 Additional services desired New teachers and administrators 2 Requirements of school law 1 5 4 13 4 4 6 14 3 - 4 - 6 4 10 - - 0 1 3 3 7 - 2 4 2 1 4 7 2 1 6 . 3 3 - 6 2 - 3 2 2 2 6 1 1 4 3 1 2 6 - - 1 1 2 - 3 - - 0 - 1 2 3 - 1 3 2 - - 2 1 1 1 2 182 TABLE XV (continued) FACTORS INFLUENCING DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE A PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR Existing factors Recommended factors District enrollment size District enrollment size Factor Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Wealth of district - - 0 - 2 - 2 Administrative reorganization 1 1 1 3 1 - - 1 Change in attitude of board of education 1 - 1 - - - 0 Instructional supervision - - 0 1 - - 1 New schools 1 - 1 1 - - 1 Salary schedule 1 - 1 1 - - 1 Teacher orientation 1 - 1 1 - - 1 No response - - 0 - 1 1 2 Do not have a personnel administrator 1 2 3 - - - 0 Total 21 15 10 46 24 26 23 73 Note: Respondents from most districts mentioned more than one factor I-1 OC 184 provide a personnel administrator or a time allotment for personnel administration. Their recommendations for future consideration in establishing the personnel posi- tion are also given. Existing factors considered. There was agreement among respondents from all three district classifications that district growth (in term3 of student enrollment) was the greatest factor which determined the need for a per sonnel administrator. It is a logical supposition that increased numbers of students would require increased num bers of school employees to provide instructional and other auxiliary services. Half of the twenty-six dis tricts indicated that growth was a prime factor. The second factor influencing districts to provide a personnel administrator was the need for maintaining accurate and up-to-date personnel records. This responsi bility includes such duties as processing papers, follow- up of applicants, maintaining accurate records, and per formance of the general effort to provide greater effi ciency in record-keeping. The large and medium districts placed greater emphasis on this factor than did the small districts. Four districts revealed each of the following 185 three items as influencing factors: added administrative responsibility, turnover, and recruitment. Factors such as the administrative load, new employees, a young faculty, and a desire to comply with sound principles of good school administration were included within the term of added ad ministrative responsibilities. Turnover referred to both certificated and classified employees, as did the factor of recruitment. Both turnover and recruitment were men tioned as factors for consideration because of retirement, the teacher shortage, district size, school law, and in adequate salary schedules. Three other items were men tioned three times each as factors which influenced their districts. They were (l) additional new teachers and ad ministrators, (2) administrative reorganization, and (5) more time needed to handle increased personnel problems. Analysis of responses in terms of district size classification revealed that the large districts named thirteen different factors that were taken into consider ation when providing additional personnel administrative time. The medium districts listed seven such factors. The small districts named only six. A total of eighteen factors was listed by all twenty-six districts. Three 186 districts (one medium and two small) stated they did not have a personnel administrator per se. Factors that should be considered. After respond ents had enumerated the factors which influenced their districts in providing a personnel position, they were asked to respond to the following question: "What factor do you think should he considered by your school district in this decision?" The question was open-ended to allow the replies to be expanded, yet unstructured. Almost all of the respondents listed one or more factors. In Table XV these factors are listed in order of frequency of mention. More than half of the districts recommended that growth (as measured by enrollments) should be the most important consideration in determining when to provide additional administrative time for the personnel program. The second factor, in rank order, was added admin istrative responsibilities, although this element was of greater concern to medium and small districts than to large districts. The latter did not mention it as an im portant consideration. Reference to the preceding section on existing practices discloses that small districts did 187 not consider the factor of added administrative responsi bilities in actually establishing personnel positions. Two other elements, the size of the school district and turnover, ranked third in order of frequency. "Size of the district" obviously referred to the physical space in terms of acreage and plant facilities, since districts had previously referred to enrollment growth. Not a single district had recorded plant size as a factor under existing practices. Yet it was recommended by medium and small districts that size be considered as an influencing factor. In large and small districts the turnover factor was thought to have considerable weight in determining the need for additional administrative time for personnel duties. Maintenance of accurate personnel records, the ad ministration of personnel problems, and recruitment were listed next in order of frequency. Maintenance of accu rate personnel records was recommended as an item for con sideration mainly by large districts. Small districts did not believe this factor to be an important factor in de termining the need to provide a personnel administrator. 188 The handling of personnel problems was a factor about equally Important to all three district classifica tions but slightly more important in large districts. In medium-sized districts it was believed that recruitment should be a factor of some concern, but large districts recommended the opposite. Other factors which should be considered in provid ing a personnel administrator were the complex nature of teaching credentials, desire to provide additional staff services, new teachers and administrators, requirements of school law, district finances, administrative reorganiza tion, attitude of the board of education, instructional supervision, new schools, the salary schedule, and teacher orientation. Most of these factors received only scat tered mention by large and medium-sized districts. All three district size classifications enumerated a wider variety of recommended items than were mentioned as factors which were operative in the actual determina tion of personnel staffing. These recommendations should be of interest to administrators contemplating the estab lishment or expansion of personnel programs. 189 III. DISTRIBUTION OF THE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR'S TIME Percentage of Time Allotted by Personnel Administrators to Certificated and Classified Employees Respondents were asked to estimate the approximate percentage of time devoted by the administrator of person nel to the needs of certificated and classified employees. The estimate was to refer solely to the amount of time consumed in personnel administration, excluding other areas of administrative responsibility. The time element was to total 100 per cent, even though only one-half or one-fourth of the administrator's total time-on-the-job may have been expended on personnel duties. Therefore, the percentages given in Table XVT do not indicate the per sonnel administrator's total administrative time. Existing time allotments. A few districts did not indicate an estimated percentage, possibly because of the difficulty of determining an approximate time element, or possibly because of a highly decentralized personnel or ganization. The percentages given in Table XVT represent TABLE XVI PERCENTAGE OF PERSONNEL TIME ALLOTTED BY PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATORS TO DISTRICT EMPLOYEES Existing factors Recommended factors Item District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Number of districts reporting Percentage of personnel time allotted: 4 10 9 23* 3 11 10 24* To certificated employees 85.0 73.5 69.4 76.0 76.7 72.7 74.0 74.4 To classified employees 15.0 26.5 30.6 24.0 23.3 27.3 26.0 25.6 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 *Note: Percentages given for large, medium and small districts represent the average for each district size classification. 190 191 the average percentage of time for each of the three size classifications. Personnel administrators in large districts devoted 85 per cent of their time to certificated personnel and 15 per cent to classified employees. Large-district per sonnel administrators allotted more time to certificated personnel than did personnel administrators in medium or small districts. Certificated personnel consumed 75.5 per cent of the personnel administrator's time in medium-sized dis tricts. Slightly more than a fourth of his time was de voted to classified employees. Medium-sized districts tended to he nearer the average for all respondent dis tricts. Small-district personnel administrators allotted less time (69 A per cent) to certificated personnel than did those in the other two district classifications. Con sequently, personnel administrators in small districts de voted a greater amount of time (50.6 per cent) to classi fied employees; this was twice as much time as that allotted in large districts. 192 Respondents were not asked to indicate reasons for their distribution of time allotment. Therefore, reasons for the differences in time allotments among district size groups, especially with respect to classified employ ees, could not be determined. It may be assumed that per sonnel administrators in large districts delegated certain responsibilities for classified employees to head custo dians, gardeners, cafeteria supervisors, and others. Pre sumably, many small districts and a few medium-sized dis tricts had not established such supervisory positions for classified workers and it was necessary for the personnel administrators of these districts to more directly super vise these activities. Recommended time allotments. Responses were re ceived from nearly all districts pertaining to recommended allotments of time to be devoted by personnel administra tors in caring for the personnel needs of certificated and classified employees. Respondents from both large and small districts recommended that approximately three fourths of the time be devoted to the needs of certificated personnel, and the other one fourth to the needs of classified employees. 193 It is interesting to compare these recommendations with the existing practices in large districts: personnel ad ministrators believed that 8 per cent less time should be devoted to certificated personnel than is actually their practice, and that a similar amount of time be added to classified employee responsibilities. In small districts they recommended that the time allotted to certificated personnel be increased slightly and time allotted to clas sified employees be decreased correspondingly. In medium-sized districts, respondents' recommenda tions were similar to current practices. Generally, all districts included in this study recommended that approximately three fourths of the per sonnel administrator's time be devoted to personnel needs of certificated personnel, and one fourth be devoted to those of classified employees. 194 IV. DISTRIBUTION OF THE BUSINESS MANAGER'S TIME Percentage of Time Allotted by Business Managers to Certificated and Classified Employees Respondents were asked to estimate the amount of time allotted by the business manager to certificated and classified employees, just as they had estimated in the case of the personnel administrator. The purpose of the question was to determine the extent of the business man ager's responsibility in the personnel program. Each reply was analyzed to check its consistency with previous responses, and whether the district had a centralized or decentralized personnel organization. The percentage of time spent by the business man ager in personnel administration was to be based solely upon his personnel responsibilities, excluding other areas of administrative duties. The amount of time devoted to personnel functions was to total 100 per cent, even though he devoted only a small part of this time to this area. Data reported in Table XVII show the approximate percent age of time devoted by business managers to district TABLE XVII PERCENTAGE OF PERSONNEL TIME ALLOTTED BY BUSINESS MANAGERS TO DISTRICT EMPLOYEES Existing factors Recommended factors Item District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Number of districts reporting 5 11 10 26 5 11 10 26 Percentage of personnel time allotted; To certificated employees To classified employees 10.0 90.0 0.0 100.0 11.0 89.0 7.0 93.0 12.0 88.0 2.0 98.0 3.0 5.0 97.0 95.0 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Note; Percentages given for large, medium and small districts represent the average for each district size classification. 195 employees. Percentages given for the large, medium, and small districts represent the average for each size clas sification. Existing time allotments. Replies from all the large districts indicated that business managers allotted 10 per cent of their time to certificated personnel and 90 per cent to classified employees. In three districts the personnel directors were totally responsible for both certificated and classified personnel. The other two large districts assigned classified personnel responsibil ities to business managers. Therefore, it was assumed that two thirds of the large districts had a personnel or ganization which was centralized in varying degrees. The findings revealed that in six medium-sized dis tricts the responsibility for all personnel was assigned to a single administrator. A slight majority of medium ' s sized districts had some form of a centralized personnel organization. In the other five districts a business man ager or assistant superintendent was placed in charge of business services; he was responsible for classified em ployee services, and devoted all his personnel time to classified employee duties. In these five cases, no time 197 was allotted to certificated personnel. A business manager or an assistant to the superin tendent was responsible for classified employees in four small districts. Approximately 89 per cent of their time was devoted to classified employees and 11 per cent to certificated personnel. Most of the small districts used the title assist ant superintendent in charge of business services instead of business manager. In six small districts, nearly all of the personnel program was under the direction of a single administrator. In three of these six districts the administrators were personnel directors; in two districts an administrative assistant was responsible for all per sonnel functions. In a majority of the small districts, as in the large and medium-sized districts, practically all person nel responsibilities were somewhat centralized. Most of the administrators responsible for classified employees allotted very little time to certificated personnel. Recommended time allotments. Recommendations re garding the amount of time the business manager or assist ant superintendent in charge of business services should 198 devote to certificated and classified employees followed closely the current practices in all three district size classifications. Nearly all respondents recommended that the administrator responsible for classified employees devote little or no time to certificated personnel duties. All districts except one in the medium-sized cate gory recommended continuance of their own centralized or decentralized personnel program. The one medium-sized district recommended that a centralized plan be initiated. Another district of the same size classification endorsed continuation of the existing decentralized plan only be cause the personalities involved cooperated fully with each other; theoretically, however, the respondent favored the centralized plan. A slight majority of respondent districts included in the study recommended utilization of the centralized personnel program in varying degrees. Those districts which recommended a decentralized plan favored complete decentralization--that is, one adminis trator who carried full responsibility for certificated personnel, and another fully responsible for classified employees. 199 V. OTHER AREAS OP ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY ASSIGNED TO PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATORS It was assumed that personnel administrators would not necessarily devote all their time to personnel mat ters. It was desired to determine the other areas of ad ministrative responsibility which were assigned to the administrators who also carried responsibility for person nel. In order to secure information on current and recom mended areas of responsibility, two questions were asked. The first question was: "If your personnel administrator performs on less than a full-time basis, what other areas of administrative responsibility are assigned him?" The second question was: "What areas of administrative re sponsibility do you think combine best with the personnel position in a school district your size?" A few districts failed to respond to the first question concerning current practices; however, an analy sis of other parts of the questionnaire revealed that proper responses could be ascertained from responses to related items. All respondents did make recommendations 200 as to other areas of administration which they thought would be the best combination with the personnel responsi bility. Areas of Responsibility Other Than Personnel Table XVIII presents the responses to the two ques tions stated in the preceding paragraph. Many of the re plies referred to specific functions and not to areas of responsibility. Therefore, larger areas given below were formulated from the specific functions that were listed in the responses. 1. The area of curriculum and instruction included the following responsibilities: Curriculum planning Supervision of the curriculum Supervision of instruction In-service training Orientation Adult education Guidance services 2. Another large area, that of administrative re sponsibility for special services, comprised the following TABLE XVIII AREAS OF ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY OTHER THAN PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATORS Existing practices Recommended practices ! Administrative areas District size Rank order District size Rank! 1 order Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Curriculum and instruction 1 2 2 5 4 5 2 4 11 1 ; Special services 5 4 9 2 1 5 3 9 2 Public relations 3 4 7 3 - 3 4 7 3 Administrative routine 5 6 11 1 - 1 2 3 4 ; Research - - 0 5 1 - - 1 5 ! Total number of areas 1 15 16 32 7 11 13 31 Note: Respondents from several large and medium-sized districts gave no response, or indicated that no other administrative duties were assigned to the personnel administrator. r 0 O 202 functions: Attendance coordinator Health coordinator Recreation Transportation Safety program Audio-visual coordinator Library services 3. The following duties were united under the area of administrative routine: Superintendent's bulletin Administrative council Administrative cabinet Assistant to the superintendent General district matters Assistant secretary to the board of education. 4. The area of public relations seemed to be an area universally understood by participants. Only one specific function, printing coordinator, was cited under this category. This might indicate that the responsibili ties assigned to the public relations area are more com monly agreed upon than are those in other areas. Existing responsibilities. Previously three large districts had indicated that the personnel director was responsible for both certificated and classified personnel. Since in these three districts the personnel director was responsible for the major portion of the personnel pro gram, he was not given other additional administrative re sponsibilities. Another personnel administrator in a large district was not assigned any responsibilities beyond those of personnel, even though he was given some assistance in administering the total personnel program. Consequently, only one personnel administrator of a large district was classified as having an added area of responsibility. This area was curriculum and instruction. It should be noted that this particular district employed a business manager who was responsible for all classified personnel functions. All but one of the personnel administrators in medium-sized districts carried other responsibilities in addition to those of personnel. This was quite the reverse of the situation found to exist in large districts. In the one exception among the medium-sized districts, the person nel administrator was responsible for both certificated and classified personnel and was assigned no additional 204 responsibilities. Personnel administrators in six medium-sized dis tricts were responsible for both certificated and classi fied employees; they were also assigned additional duty- area3. The responsibilities most frequently assigned, in order of frequency, were special services, public rela tions, and routine administrative duties. In five medium sized districts in which the personnel administrator and business manager were jointly responsible for the person nel program, all personnel administrators were given extra responsibilities. The responsibilities most commonly found, in order of frequency, were instruction, adminis trative routine, public relations, and special services. In two of these districts the personnel administrator was assigned two duty areas in addition to his personnel duties. One superintendent retained responsibility and performed most of the personnel functions for certificated employees in addition to carrying on his other duties. Similar areas of administrative responsibility were assigned to personnel administrators in both medium-sized and small districts. In large districts, most of the ad ministrators responsible for personnel were assigned no 205 extra responsibilities. All but two of the small districts assigned other areas of responsibility to the personnel administrator. In these two exceptions, the personnel administrators were in charge of the total personnel pro gram. In the remaining small districts, where the per sonnel administrator was responsible for both certificated and classified personnel, additional assignments were given in the areas of special services and routine admin istrative details. An assistant superintendent in charge of business services or business manager in four small districts per formed personnel functions for classified employees. In these districts, the personnel administrator was usually responsible for public relations in addition to his duties for certificated personnel. In a few small districts, an administrator was assigned major responsibility In three different areas In addition to his certificated personnel functions. Summarizing the responses from all three district size classifications, approximately three fourths of the personnel administrators carried responsibility in other 206 areas In addition to personnel. This situation existed most commonly in medium-sized and small districts. Large districts, for the most part, did not assign additional responsibilities to personnel administrators. Table XVIII shows the rank order of the five areas most frequently assigned to personnel administrators. The rank order was determined by the number of times the areas of responsibility or related duties were mentioned. Medium-sized and small districts tended to assign duties in the following rank order: 1. Administrative routine 2. Special services 3. Public relations 4. Curriculum and instruction The findings would seem to indicate that large districts In the 15,000-to-22,000 enrollment classifica tion usually designate one administrator to be responsible for both certificated and classified personnel, and to assign no other areas of responsibility to him. Districts with enrollments of less than 15,000 usually assign one or more areas of additional responsibility to the adminis trator . 207 Analysis of the findings strongly suggests that only in large districts do personnel responsibilities be come so demanding and specialized as to require a full time administrator free from other than personnel duties. Recommended responsibilities. Large districts men tioned three areas they thought combined best with person nel responsibilities. These areas were curriculum and instruction, special services, and research. The phras ing of the responses indicated no recommendation that all large districts assign a second area of administrative re sponsibility to the personnel administrator. It will be recalled that existing practices in four out of five large districts were to assign no other major area of re sponsibility to the personnel administrator; in fact, the major duty of the personnel administrator was thought to be to carry on the personnel program in the district. Respondents believed merely that, if an additional duty was to be assigned, curriculum and instruction would com bine best with personnel. Recommendations from respondents in medium-sized districts mentioned four areas which they thought would combine well with personnel duties. These areas, in order 208 of frequency of mention, were special services, public re lations, curriculum and instruction, and routine adminis trative duties. One respondent indicated that a full time personnel administrator was needed and the position should not be combined with other responsibilities. In all but one small district respondents recom mended combinations which were currently being utilized. Routine administrative responsibilities were currently being assigned to five personnel administrators, but only one respondent really believed that this duty should be combined with personnel duties. Respondents believed that for large districts the best combination of responsibilities, if such combinations were Indeed necessary, would be curriculum and instruction with personnel; in medium-sized districts it would be special services and personnel; and in small districts curriculum and instruction, public relations, or special services and personnel. VI. SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER In this chapter have been presented and discussed the findings concerning the district-level personnel 209 administrator and the various facets of his personnel responsibility. Current practices of personnel adminis tration were disclosed. In line with the central purpose of the survey, administrators' recommendations and opin ions concerning these personnel functions were also de termined . Existing Practices Important findings related to existing practices of district-level personnel administrators are briefly sum marized as follows: 1. The administrator most frequently responsible for the personnel program in large districts was the per sonnel director; in medium-sized districts it was an as sistant superintendent; and in small districts it was the superintendent or personnel director. 2. Titles applied most frequently to the person nel administrator were personnel director, assistant or deputy superintendent, or superintendent. 3. The titles used by two-thirds of the adminis trators gave no indication of the administrative responsi bility for the personnel program. 210 4. The administrator responsible for certificated personnel was the personnel director in large districts, an assistant superintendent in medium-sized districts, and an assistant superintendent or personnel director in small districts. 5. Responsibility for classified employees was most frequently assigned to the personnel director or an assistant superintendent in large districts; to an assist ant superintendent in medium-sized districts; and to an assistant superintendent or personnel director in small districts. 6. Slightly fewer than half of the districts were decentralized in the sense that one administrator was responsible largely for certificated personnel, and an other for classified personnel. 7. Slightly more than half of the districts had a single administrator who was largely but not solely responsible for both certificated and classified personnel. 8. Average enrollment figures given by respondents indicated that need for the creation of a part-time per sonnel position was present when the district reached the following approximate enrollment levels: 211 Large districts................9*333 Medium-sized districts ........ 4,750 Small districts................4,600 9. The average enrollment levels given when a half-time personnel position was needed or established were: Large districts .............. 12,250 Medium-sized districts ........ 6,285 Small districts.................6,666 10. A full-time personnel position was needed or established at the following average enrollment levels: Large districts .............. 13*875 Medium-sized districts ........ 10,000 Small districts.................6,900 11. Factors influencing the creation of an admin istrative personnel position were reported to be: a. Growth due to enrollment b. Need for maintenance of accurate personnel records c. Added administrative responsibilities d. Turnover of personnel e. Recruitment of personnel 212 12. Approximately three fourths of the personnel administrator's time was allotted to certificated person nel and one fourth to classified employees. Large dis tricts allotted a greater percentage of time to certifi cated personnel than did medium or small districts. Small districts allotted more time to classified employ ees than did medium-sized or large districts. 13. Business managers in large and small dis tricts allotted approximately 90 per cent of their time in personnel to classified employees and 10 per cent to certificated personnel. In medium-sized districts the business manager devoted all of his personnel time to classified employees. 14. Nearly all personnel administrators, except those in large districts, were assigned administrative responsibilities in areas other than personnel. Special services and routine administrative duties were the two areas most frequently assigned in medium-sized districts. Personnel administrators in small districts were fre quently assigned additional responsibilities in adminis trative routine or special services or public relations. 15. Increased specialization and centralization 215 of the personnel functions accompanies increased district enrollment. Recommendations of Administrators The central purpose of this chapter was to secure and analyze recommendations from administrators in the field regarding certain aspects of the position of dis trict-level personnel administrator. Opinions were ob tained concerning practices which should be employed in nine different facets of the personnel position. The most important recommendations were as follows: 1. An assistant superintendent or personnel direc tor should be largely responsible for the personnel pro gram in large and medium-sized districts. In small dis tricts the position might be the superintendent, the assistant superintendent, or the personnel director. 2. In large districts the title of personnel director was most frequently recommended for the person nel administrative position; in medium-sized districts it was the title of assistant superintendent; and in small districts it was the superintendent or assistant superintendent. 214 j5. It was recommended that an assistant superin tendent or personnel director he responsible for certifi cated employees, regardless of district size classifica tion. 4. In large districts, responsibility for classi fied employees should be the duty of the personnel direc tor or business manager. In medium-sized districts it was the duty of the assistant superintendent. In small districts, little uniformity of opinion was expressed. 5. Large districts recommended the establishment of a part-time personnel position when the district's average enrollment reached 8,000, a half-time position at the 11,000 enrollment level, and a full-time position at the 13»000 enrollment level. 6. Medium-sized districts recommended the estab lishment of a part-time personnel position when districts' average enrollment reached 4,700, a half-time position at 8,000, and a full-time position at the 11,800 average en rollment level. 7. Small districts recommended the establishment of a part-time personnel position at the 4,700 average en rollment level, a half-time position at 6,800, and a 215 full-time position at the 8,900 average enrollment level. 8. The major factors which should “ be considered in establishing a district-level personnel position are as follows: Growth due to enrollment Increased administrative responsibilities Physical size of the school district Turnover of employees Maintenance of accurate personnel records Administration of personnel problems Recruitment of personnel 9. The personnel administrator should allot ap proximately three fourths of his time to certificated personnel and one fourth to classified employees. 10. The business manager should allot 95 per cent of his time in personnel to classified employees, and 5 per cent to certificated personnel. 11. If other administrative responsibilities are to be assigned to personnel administrators in large dis tricts, the assignment of curriculum and instruction was recommended as the best combination. The area recom mended most frequently for medium-sized districts was special services; for small districts it was either cur riculum and Instruction or public relations. CHAPTER VI PLACEMENT OP RESPONSIBILITY FOR PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS I. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this chapter is to determine the division of the personnel responsibility assigned to dis trict-level administrators in large, medium, and small school districts. It was previously determined that the size of school district was an influencing factor in de termining the position to which the major responsibility for the personnel program was assigned. In small school districts some of the personnel functions were apparently so minor, or were performed so infrequently, that they were easily handled by the super intendent. As districts increased in size, there was a tendency for the personnel functions to become more com plex, requiring greater specialization and increased 217 218 attention. The superintendent was no longer able to per form all personnel functions but was forced to delegate various portions of the personnel responsibility to one or two subordinates. Moore declared that determination of the adminis trator who is to assume the major personnel responsibili ties depended upon such factors as the following: 1. The size and population of the school district. 2. Local board rules and regulations. 5. State laws and state board regulations. 4. The local philosophy of education. 5. Local lay leadership and attitudes toward education. 6. State and local professional leadership. 7. The ability and willingness to support education. (14:20) Regardless of who performs the numerous detailed personnel functions, personnel administration is consid ered to be basically a twofold function: (l) service to the line organization through the maintenance of a suffi cient supply of quality certificated and classified em ployees, and (2) development of a cooperative attitude by establishing good relations with all employees throughout 219 the school district (56:6). Data reported in Chapter VIII disclose that most of the districts here surveyed performed their personnel functions according to one of various decentralized stages of development. This means that the personnel functions usually are performed by two or more administra tors. Respondents were asked to indicate the district- level administrator who was responsible for performing each of five listed groups of personnel functions (see next paragraph). The questionnaire provided the titles of five administrators who might conceivably perform each personnel function. These administrative titles were (l) superintendent, (2) assistant or deputy superintendent, (5) personnel director or similar position, (4) assistant superintendent of business services, and (5) other dis trict-level positions. It was explained in the question naire that these five titles did not have to be the exact titles used in the district. Respondents were asked to indicate existing prac tices, and then to recommend which administrator they thought should perform each of the following groups of related personnel functions: 220 1. Securing certificated and classified employees. 2. The in-service training, retention, and dismissal of employees. 5. Personnel records and reports. 4. Administrative functions of the person nel program. 5. Welfare of employees. A large majority of responses revealed a striking similarity between existing and recommended practices. For this reason, the two responses are discussed jointly throughout this chapter, the primary emphasis being placed upon the recommendations of respondents. All tables presented in this chapter, it will be observed, indicate first the title of the administrator currently responsible for performing the given personnel function related to certificated and classified employees, and then the recommendations of respondents concerning the administrator who should carry that responsibility. II. SECURING EMPLOYEES The establishment and periodic review of recruit ment, appraisal, and selection procedure is one of the primary personnel functions. The manpower needs of a dis trict are never completely static; this is especially true in the case of certificated personnel. The procurement, appraisal, and selection of an effective teaching force are, therefore, problems of grave responsibility in many districts. Most districts of the size categories used in this study are usually able to determine well before the open ing of school the number and type of employees that must be obtained. They are able thus to make advanced prepara tions to select personnel and, by using refined appraisal techniques, to avoid hurried hiring which often results in the hiring of inefficient or unqualified employees. Most school districts included in this study were in a state of relatively rapid growth. Furthermore, many dis tricts were experiencing a certain amount of personnel turnover. 222 Administrator Responsible for Recruitment, Appraisal, and Selection In Table XIX are shown the data pertaining to the district-level administrators who are responsible for the recruitment, appraisal, and selection functions concern ing both certificated and classified employees, and the recommendations of respondents concerning the administra tor who should carry these responsibilities. Existing and recommended practices for certificated employees. An assistant superintendent and personnel director were the two positions mentioned most frequently as being responsible for the recruitment, appraisal, and selection functions in all three district size classifi cations. Only in a few small districts did the superin tendent retain these duties. The assistant superintend ent in charge of business services did not participate in the procedure of securing certificated employees. It was indicated by one medium-sized district that the director of elementary education and the school principals were expected to perform these functions or at least share in TABLE XIX ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR RECRUITMENT, APPRAISAL AND SELECTION Existing factors Recommended factors Administrator District enrollment size District enrollment size responsible Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total For certificated employees: Superintendent - - 3 3 - - 2 2 Assistant superintendent 3 5 2 10 2 4 3 9 Personnel director 3 4 5 12 3 5 5 13 Others: Principals, director of elementary education - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 Total 6 10 10 26 5 10 10 25 For classified employees: Superintendent - - - 0 - - - 0 Assistant superintendent - 2 2 4 - 2 2 4 Personnel director 4 4 4 12 4 5 4 13 Assistant superintendent of business 1 4 2 7 1 2 2 5 Others: Principals, research director, director of maintenance 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 3 Total 6 11 9 26 6 10 9 25 223 224 these responsibilities. It was recommended by 52 per cent of all respond ents that the personnel director be responsible for re cruiting, appraising, and selecting certificated employ ees. An assistant superintendency position was recom mended by 56 per cent of all respondents. Only two small districts recommended that the superintendent be responsi ble for these functions. No respondent indicated that the administrator in charge of business services be made re sponsible for securing certificated employees. Existing and recommended practices for classified employees. The personnel directorship was the position usually responsible for recruiting, appraising, and select ing classified employees. A larger percentage of large than of medium or small districts indicated this practice. Assistant superintendents did not perform these functions in large districts but did so in a few medium and small districts. The assistant superintendent in charge of business services helped to secure classified employees in seven districts, a majority of which were of medium size. One 225 district in each size classification used other personnel (principals, the director of research, and the director of maintenance). The position of the superintendency was not assigned these functions in any district. The one position recommended most frequently for the recruitment, appraisal, and selection of classified employees responsibilities was the personnel director. The greatest percentage of respondents making this recom mendation were from large districts. The positions sug gested in next order of frequency were the assistant superintendent in charge of business services and other assistant superintendent positions. No respondent recom mended that the superintendent be made responsible for these functions concerning classified employees. Administrator Responsible for Assignment and Transfer During the recruitment process most candidates for positions are selected for specific assignments, a situa tion which is possibly less true in large and rapidly growing districts than it is in smaller districts. At times applicants are selected with regard to their major 226 and minor fields of teaching, being assigned later to schools and specific classes. The original assignment of new teachers in the district is a function important to the district, to teachers, and to pupils. The transfer of teachers from one school to an other, or within departments, is likewise an important function. In many cases the skill utilized in performing these two functions may mean the difference between suc cess or failure. In Table XX the data are presented pertaining to the administrator who is now responsible for making these decisions, as well as the recommendations of respondents concerning the administrator who should carry these re sponsibilities. Existing and recommended practices for certificated employees. Recommended and existing practices were found to be approximately the same for all districts. There fore, greatest emphasis in the discussion of the functions of assignment and transfer is upon the recommendations of respondents. Only in small districts did the superintendent perform the functions of assignment and transfer. TABLE XX ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSIGNMENT AND TRANSFER Existing factors Recommended factors Administrator District enrollment size District enrollment size responsible Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total For certificated employees: Superintendent - - 3 3 - - 2 2 Assistant superintendent 3 5 3 11 3 5 4 12 Personnel director 3 5 4 12 3 5 4 12 Others: Principals - 1 1 2 - 1 1 2 Total 6 11 11 28* 6 11 11 28* For classified employees: Superintendent - - 1 1 - - 1 1 Assistant superintendent - 2 2 4 - 2 2 4 Personnel director 4 4 3 11 4 5 3 12 Assistant superintendent of business 1 5 4 10 1 3 4 8 Others: Principals, research director 1 1 2 4 1 1 2 4 Total 6 12 12 30* 6 11 12 29* * Respondents from a few districts indicated more than one position. 227 Respondents from two small districts recommended that he retain these functions. Respondents endorsed an assistant superintendent and personnel director as the two positions that should be responsible for these functions. Each of these two positions was suggested by per cent of all respondents with responses distributed rather evenly among large, medium, and small districts. It was believed that the assistant superintendent in charge of business services should not be assigned these responsibilities. One small and one medium-sized district reported that the services of the school princi pals were used in making these decisions. It might seem that the school principals should be utilized more often than responses would indicate; possibly the respondents restricted their answers to the strict definition of the study which was to include only administrators at the dis trict level. Existing and recommended practices for classified employees. In kj> per cent of all districts it was be lieved that the personnel director should be responsible 229 for the assignment and transfer of classified employees. Respondents from large and medium-sized districts sug gested this position more often than did the small dis tricts. Those from small districts recommended most fre quently the assistant superintendent in charge of business services. Considering all districts, 28 per cent recom mended that the business manager perform assignment and transfer functions for classified employees. Only a few respondents (chiefly those from medium and small districts) recommended that the superintendent, the position of assistant superintendent, and other per sonnel be directly involved in these two personnel func tions. III. IN-SERVICE TRAINING, RETENTION, AND DISMISSAL OF EMPLOYEES The personnel functions of orientation, in-service training, evaluation, promotion, discipline, and termina tion have important bearings on the success with which the personnel program is administered. School districts of all sizes are increasingly developing procedures for sys tematic orientation and in-service training of new 250 employees so that they may be cordially received and well oriented to their new surroundings. Such programs are probably less complex and formalized in small districts than in large, since they require fewer new employees. Evaluation, promotion, discipline, and termination are also essential personnel functions, regardless of dis trict size. All four functions aid in accomplishing cru cial objectives of a sound educational program. These functions aid in developing the full potential of new em ployees, in promoting satisfaction, and in developing a staff versatility. They also add measurably to the effi ciency and financial solvency of the district's personnel program. Administrator Responsible for Orientation and In-Service Training Data exhibited in Table XXI disclose that a wider range of district personnel was involved in the functions of orientation and in-service training than in any of the functions previously discussed. Existing and recommended practices as they relate to certificated and classified employees and district size are also shown. TABLE XXI ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR ORIENTATION, IN-SERVICE TRAINING Existing factors Recommended factors Administrator responsible District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total For certificated employees: Superintendent - - 2 2 - - 2 2 Assistant superintendent 4 3 5 12 4 3 6 13 Personnel director 2 4 2 8 2 4 2 8 Assistant superintendent of business Others: Supervisors, instructional staff, staff consultants, director of 1 1 1 1 instruction 3 7 3 13 2 5 2 9 Total 9 14 13 36* 8 12 13 33* For classified employees: Assistant superintendent - 1 3 4 - 1 2 3 Personnel director 2 5 2 9 1 4 3 8 Assistant superintendent of business Others: Principals, supervisors, director 3 6 9 1 3 7 11 of operations 3 4 2 9 2 3 1 6 Total 5 13 13 31* 4 11 13 28* *Respondents from districts of each size classification indicated more than one position. TX31 2J2 Existing and recommended practices for certificated employees. A few districts in each size classification indicated that more than one district-level position helped to perform orientation and in-service training duties for certificated personnel. The assistant super intendent, often in charge of instruction, was the admin istrator most frequently responsible for the orientation and in-service training of new employees. Large and small districts utilized the assistant superintendency position to a greater extent than did medium-sized districts. Such other administrative and teaching personnel as the direc tor of instruction, supervisors, staff consultants, prin cipals, department heads, and the instructional staff aided extensively in the orientation and in-service train ing programs. Medium-sized districts used the personnel director and the other personnel mentioned above to per form the two certificated functions more than did the other two district classifications. Only a few small dis tricts indicated that the superintendent and business man ager were responsible for these functions. Recommendations of the respondents were similar to their reported current practices, with one exception. 233 A few districts of each size classification indicated a slight reduction in the number of other personnel that should be responsible for the orientation and in-service training functions. The assistant superintendency position was recom mended most frequently by all districts (39 per cent) as the administrator who should be responsible for these two certificated personnel functions. A majority of large and small districts concurred with this suggestion. Three other personnel classifications— i.e., super visors, consultants, and principals— were each recommended by 27 per cent of respondents. The position of the per sonnel director was suggested by 25 per cent of respond ents, mostly by those from medium-sized districts. Large and medium-sized district respondents did not recommend that the superintendent or business manager be given responsibility for the orientation and in-service training of new employees, although a few respondents from small districts did make such a recommendation. Existing and recommended practices for classified employees. Actual responsibility for orientation and in- service training of classified employees was divided 234 evenly among the positions of the personnel director, as sistant superintendent in charge of business services, and such other personnel as supervisors, director of oper ations, and principals. Medium-sized districts frequently used the position of the personnel director for these functions as they pertained to classified employees. A majority of small districts utilized the business manager for orientation and in-service training of classi fied employees, while not a single large district did so. Large districts used only the personnel director and other * personnel. In all districts studied, superintendents delegated responsibility for these two functions, and only a very few medium and small districts assigned an assist ant superintendent to these functions. Recommendations of respondents differed somewhat from current practices. A few more districts (one large and one small) expressed a desire to have the business manager perform the orientation and in-service training functions for classified employees. Combining all dis tricts, 39 per cent made this recommendation, a majority of these respondents being from small districts. It was suggested by 29 per cent of the districts 235 that the personnel director assume these responsibilities. Use of other personnel was favored less frequently than was found in actual practice. Administrator Responsible for Evaluation, Promotion, Terml- nation, and Discipline No matter how well employees are selected, inducted, and trained, a few employee-administrator conflicts can be expected to develop over the long run in day-to-day duties. Friction may result from such factors as person ality conflicts, unusual pressure of work, and jealousies among personnel at all levels. Such conflicts may be min imized through a systematic evaluation procedure, a fair promotion policy, and well defined procedures for handling grievances and terminations (1:205). All districts were in agreement that all personnel functions should be put in writing so that each person can understand what is expected of him and may know who is responsible for his evaluation, promotion, and other basic job relationships. Table XXII discloses the data pertain ing to the administrator who are now responsible for the TABLE XXII ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR EVALUATION, PROMOTIONS, TERMINATIONS AND DISCIPLINE Existing factors Recommended factors Administrator District enrollment size District enrollment size responsible Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total For certificated employees: Superintendent - 2 5 7 - 2 4 6 Assistant superintendent 3 2 3 8 2 2 4 8 Personnel director 3 3 2 8 3 3 2 8 Assistant superintendent of business 1 - - 1 - - - 0 Others: Principals, supervisors - 6 1 7 - 6 1 7 Total 7 13 11 31* 5 13 11 29* For classified employees: Superintendent - 1 2 3 - 1 2 3 Assistant superintendent - 1 2 3 - 1 1 2 Personnel director 2 4 3 9 3 4 3 10 Others: Assistant superintendent of business Others: Principals, supervisors, research 2 2 3 7 1 2 4 7 director 1 4 3 8 1 4 2 7 Total 5 12 13 30* 5 12 12 29* * Some districts indicated more than one position. ro VjJ C T . 257 functions of evaluation, promotion, termination, and dis cipline, and the administrators who respondents think should carry these responsibilities. Existing and recommended practices for certificated employees. Both the existing practices and the recommen dations of respondents were quite similar in all three district size classifications. Therefore, only the recom mended practices are discussed. The two positions of assistant superintendent and personnel director were each recommended by 28 per cent of respondents as the administrator who should be respon sible for evaluation, promotion, termination, and disci pline of certificated employees. Although half of the recommendations from medium sized districts favored the use of supervisors and princi pals, most small-district respondents indicated that the superintendent or an assistant superintendent should per form these functions. Existing and recommended practices for classified employees. It was recommended by 3^ per cent of all dis tricts that the responsibility for evaluation, promotion, 258 termination, and discipline of classified employees should be the responsibility of the personnel director. This as signment of responsibility was favored by a majority of large districts. Medium-sized and small districts most frequently recommended that these functions be assigned to either the business manager or supervisors and principals. These functions were seldom performed by the super intendent and at the assistant superintendent level, and it was believed that they should not take over these direct responsibilities. Respondents from large districts re ported that these two administrators did not and should not perform these and similar functions for classified employees. IV. PERSONNEL RECORDS, REPORTS, AND HANDBOOKS In recent years public schools have demonstrated an increased recognition of the need for maintaining records of various types concerning all employees. This is not simply the result of the many governmental jurisdictions which have recently entered the educational picture 239 (municipal, county, state, and federal). It is also wit ness to improved methods and orderly procedures. Regard less of the size of a district it is faced with the neces sity of keeping an almost bewildering multiplicity of records and having to report on almost everything an em ployee does, every phase requiring its own specialized forms. Numerous sections of the California Education Code require that certain information be made available about employees. These laws affect every school district, re gardless of organizational pattern or school size. Young cited several sections from the California Education Code relating to the legal status of California administrators in regard to personnel management (4l). Piety studied the powers, rights, and responsibilities of various agencies which function in the control of recruitment, selection, and assignment of certificated personnel for the public schools. He also established legal principles of consti tutional law and common law which could serve as a guide to the functioning of agencies in these areas of personnel administration (35). Magner, in a study of small districts under 5>000 enrollment, determined how frequently personnel 240 records were utilized and the functions which each served. Major personnel records were listed as (l) selection rec ords, (2) assignment records, (3) supervision records, (4) retention records, (5) absences records, (6) termina tion records, and (7) payment records (35:59). Administrator Responsible for Personnel Records and Reports Data reported in Table XXIII show the administra tor who is responsible for the maintenance of personnel records and the issuance of personnel reports as required by state law and local boards of education. Existing and recommended practices for certificated employees. Great similarity existed between current and recommended practices; 54 per cent of the districts indi cated the opinion that to the personnel director should be assigned the responsibility of maintaining personnel records and making reports thereon. This was the practice most frequently followed in large districts. The assistant superintendency position was assigned these functions in 25 per cent of the districts, occurring most often in medium-sized districts. The small districts TABLE XXIII ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR PERSONNEL RECORDS AND REPORTS Existing factors Recommended factors Administrator responsible District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total For certificated employees: Superintendent - 1 4 5 - 1 3 4 Assistant superintendent 1 3 1 5 1 3 2 6 Personnel director 4 5 4 13 4 5 4 13 Assistant superintendent of business 1 - - 1 1 - - 1 Total 6 9 9 24 6 9 9 24 For classified employees: Superintendent - - 1 1 - - 1 1 Assistant superintendent - 5 2 7 - 4 2 6 Personnel director 5 5 4 14 5 7 4 16 Assistant superintendent of business 1 3 2 6 1 2 2 5 Total 6 13 9 28* 6 13 9 28* * Respondents from some large and medium-sized districts indicated more than one position. ro -fcr 242 most frequently found it necessary for the superintendent to assume these responsibilities. Existing and recommended practices for classified employees. It was recommended by 57 per cent of the dis tricts that the personnel director be made responsible for records and reports of classified personnel. All five large districts made these functions the responsibility of the personnel director, while in small and medium-sized districts the position at the assistant superintendency level was utilized to a greater extent. The superintendent performed these functions in one small district; the assistant superintendent in charge of business services performed them in 18 per cent of the districts. Administrator Responsible for Employee Handbooks Personnel administration applies to all employees of a school district. Because it is essentially a service function, it is important that the personnel administrator assume the task of keeping employees informed of the serv ices provided and of the personnel policies and procedures 243 in effect. Most districts provide this type of information by means of an employee handbook which covers items of concern to both certificated and classified personnel. Table XXIV Indicates the administrators who are respon sible for providing handbooks to certificated and classi fied employees. Existing and recommended practices for certificated employees. It was found that in a majority of large, medium, and small districts, responsibility for handbooks for certificated employees was assigned to either an assistant superintendent or the personnel director. Super intendents did not perform this function in the large dis tricts and seldom did so in medium-sized and small dis tricts . Local school principals were responsible for pro viding an employee handbook in one large and one small district, but normally this function was a service pro vided by a district-level administrator. Recommendations of respondents were somewhat sim ilar to existing practices. It was believed by 48 per cent of all respondents that the assistant superintendency position should be responsible for the employee handbook. TABLE XXIV ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR EMPLOYEE HANDBOOKS Existing factors Recommended factors Administrator responsible District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total For certificated employees: Superintendent - 1 2 3 - 1 1 2 Assistant superintendent 1 6 A 11 2 5 5 12 Personnel director 2 3 2 7 2 5 2 9 Others: Principals 1 - 1 2 1 - 1 2 Total A 10 9 23* 5 11 9 25* For classified employees: Assistant superintendent - 3 2 5 - 3 2 5 Personnel director 3 3 2 8 3 5 2 10 Assistant superintendent of business 1 5 A 10 1 A A 9 Others: Principals 1 1 - 2 1 1 - 2 Total 5 12** 8 25* 5 13** 8 26 * A few districts did not answer. ** One medium-sized district indicated more than one position. 245 More than half of those from small districts made this recommendation. The personnel directorship was recommended as the proper placement of responsibility to provide certificated employees with a handbook, according to 56 per cent of all respondents. The largest percentage of these re sponses came from large and medium-sized districts. Existing and recommended practices for classified employees. With respect to handbooks for classified em ployees, in a majority of large districts the personnel director was assigned this responsibility. In medium sized and small school districts, this duty was usually assigned to any of three different administrators. Super intendents were not responsible for classified employee handbooks in any district studied. Combining the recommendations received from all districts, 58 per cent indicated that the personnel director should be responsible for classified employee handbooks. A majority of those from large districts con curred with this recommendation. The assistant superin tendent in charge of business services was named to per form this function in 55 per cent of all districts. 246 This position was named most frequently in recommendations from medium and small districts. V. OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS A number of other personnel functions, such as formulation of personnel policies, salary schedules, job descriptions, and leaves, are also of great personal con cern to most employees. Eventually, high level adminis trative decisions must be made with respect to these func tions, usually by the superintendent or at the assistant superintendency level. Naturally, supervisors, consult ants, principals, teachers, and classified employees wish to share in the various stages of formulating personnel policies and salary schedules. If the superintendent does not involve himself directly with these functions, he then delegates authority to subordinates who perform the func tions and make decisions regarding them. Many of the functions previously discussed were the responsibility of subordinates to the superintendent, es pecially in large districts; this type of delegation is consistent with the principle of "span of control." Nevertheless, it is usually understood that no delegation of personnel duties in any way relieves the superintendent of responsibility for the smooth functioning of the per sonnel program. Administrator Responsible for Formulating Personnel Policies The formulation of clearly stated personnel poli cies is generally recognized as essential to the operation of any successful organization, whether in public educa tion, government, industry, or in military operations. Pigors stated that a policy is a plan of action and that a plan is a policy; therefore, policymaking and planning are synonymous. Rightly, he points out that human effort can be directed most effectively through the guiding in fluence of a plan of action known to all concerned. When put in writing, it should contain three basic parts: the objectives, the procedure for the attainment of the objec tives, and definite assignment of various parts of proce dure to individuals as specific responsibilities (19:110). Policy should flow from a philosophy based upon an empirical understanding of existing factors, no matter how 248 complex. Policies that are understood and mutually agreed upon tend to insure consistency of action and to prevent deviations from planned courses of action. It is likewise important for employees to know the individuals responsible for directing the course of action (1:34). The data given in Table XXV show the administrators who were responsible for formulating the personnel policies of districts in cluded in this study. It shows, too, the recommendations of respondent administrators in this matter. Existing and recommended practices for certificated employees. Superintendents of the large districts did not participate in the formulation of personnel policies; for the most part, they delegated this duty to an assistant superintendent or to the personnel director. In small and medium-sized districts the position of the superin tendency was involved in policy formulation to a greater extent than was true of other functions previously dis cussed. Combining responses from all districts, it is noted that 32 per cent of the superintendents aided in this function. Another administrator active in the formulation of personnel policies in 32 per cent of districts was the TABLE XXV ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR FORMULATING PERSONNEL POLICIES Existing factors Recommended factors Administrator responsible District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total For certificated employees: Superintendent - 6 4 10 - 5 4 9 Assistant superintendent 2 3 2 7 1 4 1 6 Personnel director 1 5 2 8 1 5 3 9 Assistant superintendent of business Others: Administrative staff and committees, - 1 1 - 1 1 principals 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 3 Total 4 15 10 29* 3 15 10 28* For classified employees: Superintendent 2 4 2 8 1 3 2 6 Assistant superintendent 2 1 2 5 1 2 1 4 Personnel director 1 5 2 8 2 5 3 10 Assistant superintendent of business Others: Administrative staff and committees, 2 2 4 8 2 2 4 8 principals 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 3 Total 8 13 11 32* 7 13 11 31* ro * Respondents from some districts of each size classification indicated more than one position. ^ 250 personnel director. He tended to participate in this function more often in medium-sized and small than in large districts. For some unexplained reason the assistant superin tendency position participated in policy formulation prior to the adoption of personnel policies in 22 per cent of all districts. This level of participation was recommended largely hy medium-sized districts, in contrast to a single recommendation by other-size districts. All districts utilized other personnel including principals, committees, and/or the complete administrative staff. The business office was not active in this phase of personnel administration but was extensively involved where classified personnel policies were concerned. The questionnaire restriction that responses were to pertain to district-level personnel undoubtedly excluded numerous other certificated and classified employees who otherwise might have been mentioned. Existing and recommended practices for classified employees. Surprisingly, more superintendents of large districts were involved in the formulation of personnel policies for classified employees than were involved 251 where certificated employees were concerned. No explana tion could be offered regarding this finding. In pre viously-reported personnel functions, superintendents of all three size classifications have been more actively involved with those which pertained to certificated em ployees. Two other positions were found to carry respon sibility similar to that of the superintendents in the matter of formulating personnel policies for classified employees. These were the personnel director and the business manager. Personnel directors assumed greatest responsibility for this function in medium-sized districts, while business managers were mentioned most frequently in small districts. Of the four major district-level administrators, assistant superintendents were mentioned least often, al though more of them were involved in the formulation of personnel policies for classified employees than for cer tificated employees. The position of the personnel director was recom mended as the position which should be responsible for the personnel policies of classified employees. This was so indicated by 53 per cent of all districts, half of 252 which were from the medium-sized category. The business manager in 26 per cent of all districts was responsible for leadership in formulating classified personnel poli cies. Half of the eight districts indicating the position of the business manager were from small districts. Respondents from districts presently utilizing the superintendent in this capacity recommended slightly less direct participation at that level of authority. The same also applied to the assistant superintendency positions. Administrator Responsible for the Salary Schedule One rather well established characteristic of today's highly organized society is that individuals are highly motivated by economic goals; many must choose their occupations for economic as well as for altruistic or humanistic reasons. It is important to the teaching pro fession and its individual members that salary provisions be high enough to attract and hold teachers of high quality. School boards, administrators, and teachers are vitally concerned with criteria for establishing sound salary practices. 255 The "total attractiveness" of the teaching profes sion is of primary concern to school employees; the attracting power of a job may consist of a number of fac tors, that is, salary, attractive environment, adequate instructional materials, consultation periods, status, and fringe benefits. The salary program must be developed with these items in mind; it should also be worked out in such a way as to allow all employees an opportunity to voice their wishes regarding their own schedules. Eventu ally the board of education must make the final decision, taking into account the desires of certificated and clas sified employees, expressed via the superintendent's rec ommendations to the board. In some districts the super intendent is directly involved in preparing the salary schedule with the personnel involved; in others, he may delegate this function to a subordinate. Table XXVI was devised to show the district-level administrator who is responsible largely for developing the salary program within surveyed districts; it also shows respondents' rec ommendations concerning responsibility for this function. Existing and recommended practices for certificated employees. As might be expected, the superintendents were TABLE XXVI ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR SALARY SCHEDULES Existing factors Recommended factors Administrator District enrollment size District enrollment size responsible Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total For certificated employees: Superintendent 4 6 7 17 3 4 7 14 Assistant superintendent 1 3 2 6 1 5 1 7 Personnel director 1 3 1 5 2 3 2 7 Assistant superintendent of business 2 2 2 2 Others: Joint administrators, and teachers' committees 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 3 Total 7 13 13 33* 7 13 13 33* For classified employees: Superintendent - 3 4 7 - 2 4 6 Assistant superintendent - 2 3 5 - 3 2 5 Personnel director 1 3 1 5 1 3 2 6 Assistant superintendent of business 2 3 4 9 2 3 4 9 Others: Classified associate - 1 1 2 - 1 1 2 Total 3 12 13 28* 3 12 13 28* * Respondents from a few districts of each size classification indicated more than one position. ro ui more directly involved with the salary program than with any other single personnel function. This finding accen tuates the prime importance attached to the remunerative aspect of personnel administration. Responses from seventeen districts indicated that the superintendent was responsible for leadership in developing a salary program. It was recommended by fourteen, or 45 per cent, of the districts that he continue to handle this responsibility. One large and two medium-sized districts did not wish him to continue to administer this function. It was recom mended by 21 per cent of the school districts that the positions at the assistant superintendency level and per sonnel director assume increased responsibility for this function. One additional large and one small district wished to see the salary schedule function assigned to the personnel director; while medium-sized districts indicated that more assistant superintendents should be responsible for this function. Two small districts utilized the services of the business manager to formulate the salary schedule. In 9 per cent of all sizes of districts it was indicated that some use was made of other district personnel, such as 256 the complete administrative staff and representatives of the local teachers' association. Existing and recommended practices for classified employees. The assistant superintendent in charge of business services in 52 per cent of all districts was re sponsible for the salary schedule for classified employees. Two out of three large districts responding to this sec tion reported that he had this responsibility and recom mended that he retain it. Superintendents of large districts did not assume responsibility for the classified salary program; however, in a few medium-sized and small districts they did retain this function. Approximately one fifth of respondents from all districts recommended that the superintendent and the per sonnel director assume the leading role in the salary pro gram for classified employees. Medium-sized districts favored the personnel director as the one to perform this function a little more frequently than did the large or small districts. In the medium and small districts equal numbers of responses indicated assistant superintendent positions and 257 personnel directors as the appropriate position to carry responsibility for salary schedules of classified workers. Administrator Responsible for Preparing Job and Position Descriptions An essential aspect of the employment function is job information covering the types of positions and jobs for which employees are selected. A determination of the content of each position in terms of specific duties and responsibilities is necessary, as is a clear definition of the personal qualifications desired. These specifica tions provide the basis for matching the requirements of the job with the qualifications of the person seeking the position (1:58). Effort was directed toward determining the district- level administrator who had major responsibility for pre paring job and position descriptions for the certificated and classified personnel. Table XXVII discloses responses of district administrators pertaining to current and rec ommended practices in this regard. TABLE XXVII ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR PREPARING JOB AND POSITION DESCRIPTIONS Existing factors Recommended factors Administrator responsible District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total For certificated employees: Superintendent 1 3 4 1 2 3 Assistant superintendent 1 5 3 9 1 5 4 10 Personnel director 3 5 4 12 3 5 4 12 Others: Administrative staff 1 - - 1 1 - - 1 Total 5 11 10 26 5 11 10 26 For classified employees: Superintendent 1 1 1 1 Assistant superintendent - 2 1 3 - 3 1 4 Personnel director 5 5 4 14 5 5 4 14 Assistant superintendent of business 1 A 4 9 1 3 4 8 Others: Administrative staff - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 Total 6 12 10 28* 6 12 10 28* * Respondents from two medium-sized districts indicated two positions for classified employees. ro ui CO 259 Existing and recommended practices for certificated personnel. In almost half of all districts (46 per cent), the personnel director was responsible for preparing job and position descriptions for certificated employees. A slightly lower percentage of small districts utilized the personnel director for this function because a higher percentage of their superintendents retained the respon sibility. In second rank order was the assistant superintend ent position. Medium-sized districts assigned this func tion to an assistant superintendent more frequently than did the large and small districts, combined. In no dis trict did the assistant superintendent in charge of busi ness services carry any responsibility for this function. Practically all districts utilized only one admin istrator to prepare job descriptions; he was either the superintendent, an assistant superintendent, or the per sonnel director. Recommendations from practically all districts were closely similar to current practices. 260 Existing and recommended practices for classified employees. Both the existing and recommended practices were practically the same regarding the administrator re sponsible for preparing job and position descriptions for classified employees. For this reason only recommended practices are discussed here. Half of all respondents, regardless of district size, thought the personnel director should prepare job descriptions for classified employees. All five large districts favored the personnel director as the one to be responsible for this function. Slightly fewer than half of the respondents from medium-sized and small dis tricts concurred with this recommendation. The administrator endorsed next most frequently was the assistant superintendent in charge of business serv ices; 28 per cent of all districts recommended this posi tion, most of the recommendations coming from medium-sized and small districts. In a few medium and small districts, the assistant superintendency position was recommended as the appropriate person to whom this function should be assigned. 261 Except for one small district, no district indi cated the belief that the superintendent should prepare job descriptions for classified employees. Administrator Responsible for Administering Leaves Various types of leaves are available to certifi cated and classified school district employees. Those most common are sick leaves, sabbatical leaves, maternity leaves, and leaves of absence. Leaves are often a part of the district's fringe benefits and are carefully ap praised by applicants for positions. The manner in which leaves are administered can become either a good or bad influence on employee morale. It is important to ascertain the position which administers the leave program for a district. Table XXVIII shows the data obtained concerning the administrator who is responsible for this function, and the respondents' recommendations concerning the administrator who should carry the responsibility. Existing and recommended practices for certificated personnel. Recommended practices were identical with TABLE XXVIII ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR ADMINISTERING LEAVES Existing factors Recommended factors Administrator District enrollment size District enrollment size responsible Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total For certificated employees: Superintendent 2 4 4 10 2 4 4 10 Assistant superintendent - 3 1 4 - 3 1 4 Personnel director 3 5 4 12 3 5 4 12 Total 5 12* 9** 26 5 12* 9 ** 26 For classified employees: Superintendent 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 4 Assistant superintendent - 3 1 4 - 3 1 4 Personnel director 3 4 4 11 3 5 4 12 Assistant superintendent of business 1 2 2 5 1 1 2 4 Others - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 Total 5 12* 8** 25 5 12* 8** 25 * All respondents from small districts failed to reply. ** One respondent from a medium-sized district indicated two positions each for certificated and classified employees. 262 current practices in regard to responsibility for adminis tering leaves of certificated personnel. Only three posi tions performed this function: (l) the personnel director had this responsibility in 46 per cent of all districts, although this arrangement was practiced and recommended less frequently in small districts; (2) 38 per cent of superintendents retained the responsibility--in fact, only one other function was participated in more often by super intendents— that of formulating salary schedules; and (3) 16 per cent of districts (primarily those in the medium sized classification) assigned the leave function to the assistant superintendency level. No large district and only one small district utilized this position. Services of the business manager and other certificated personnel were not mentioned. Existing and recommended practices for classified employees. A greater variety of personnel was involved in administering the leave program of classified employees than was found to be true of certificated employees. Here, again, the personnel director was the position most frequently responsible for tnis function in all district classifications. Most respondents recommended that the 264 same assignment of responsibility currently being prac ticed be continued. Each of three administrators (the superintendent, an assistant superintendent, and the business manager) was recommended by 16 per cent of respondents as the one who should administer the leave program. Within this small percentage the superintendent and the assistant superintendency position were endorsed most frequently by medium-sized districts, and the business manager by small districts, half of which made this recommendation. VI. EMPLOYEE WELFARE Many aspects of the personnel function are in timately concerned with the welfare of the district em ployee. One section of the questionnaire sought informa tion regarding the administrator responsible for perform ing functions affecting employee welfare. These functions were employee morale, the retirement program, group in surance, recreational activities, health, safety, and housing services. 265 Administrator Responsible for Employee Morale Morale is often thought of as something intangible; yet many tangible factors which influence morale in the teaching profession can be identified, i.e., such items as tenure, democratic staff relationships, pleasant phys ical facilities, friendly supervisory services, profes sional and social status, reasonable teaching loads, and many other personnel functions previously discussed which directly or indirectly affect the employee's feeling of well-being on the job. All employees are concerned with the administrative practices under which they will work and the individual or individuals who are responsible for promoting good morale. Table XXIX discloses the administrative positions which are responsible for these functions involving both cer tificated and classified personnel. It also presents re spondents' recommendations in this matter. Existing and recommended practices for certificated personnel. Responses indicated a diversification of re sponsibility for employee morale, especially in large TABLE XXIX ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR EMPLOYEE MORALE Existing factors Recommended factors Administrator District enrollment size District enrollment size responsible Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total For certificated employees: Superintendent - 4 4 8 - 3 4 7 Assistant superintendent 1 5 3 9 1 3 3 7 Personnel director - 5 3 8 - 5 3 8 Assistant superintendent of business - 1 1 2 - - 1 1 Others: Administrative staff, principals, department heads 3 2 3 8 3 1 3 7 Total 4 17 14 35* 4 12 14 30* For classified employees: Superintendent - 2 2 4 - 1 2 3 Assistant superintendent - 2 1 3 - 1 1 2 Personnel director 1 3 1 5 1 4 2 7 Assistant superintendent of business 1 5 4 10 1 2 3 6 Others: Administrative staff, principals 3 3 3 9 3 2 3 8 Total 5 15 11 31* 5 10 11 26 * One respondent from a large district did not reply, while those from some medium-sized and small districts indicated more than one position. 2 66 267 districts. Instead of relying on a single administrator to provide the leadership in this area, many individuals were apparently encouraged to assist in the development and maintenance of good teacher morale. Personnel at all levels were involved, e.g., such positions as the total district administrative staff, school principals, and de partment heads. One district expressed the concept that all employees should share in this respect. Medium-sized districts tended to rely upon indi vidual administrators at the district level for morale leadership. Small districts also fell within this pattern. Medium and small districts relied mainly upon one of three administrators: the superintendent, an assistant superin tendent, or the personnel director. Medium districts utilized a greater number of certificated employees in the development of good morale than did the small dis tricts. Respondents' recommendations were closely similar to current practices, except that respondents from medium sized districts indicated a desire to involve fewer admin istrators in building and maintaining high morale. 268 The pattern of having numerous individuals respon sible for employee morale was in all probability a neces sity in large districts where district-level administra tors were possibly less able to maintain personal face-to- face relationships with certificated employees. In con trast, district-level administrators in small and medium sized districts were able to devote a greater portion of their time to the personal relationships so important in building morale. These findings tend to support the as sumption that as district enrollments increase, district- level administrators' personal contacts with employees decrease. Existing and recommended practices for classified employees. Responsibility for classified employee morale in large districts followed the same general pattern as that observed in the case of certificated employees, namely, general reliance upon the school principal. There was some tendency, however, to utilize the positions of the personnel director and business manager in this capac ity. In a few medium and small districts school princi pals were assigned the responsibility for employee morale, 269 although in a majority, district-level administrators bore this responsibility. The position to which this activity was delegated most frequently was the assistant superin tendent in charge of business services. Other positions given the responsibility for classified employee morale, in order of frequency of mention, were the personnel di rector, the superintendent, and an assistant superintend ent position. In medium and small districts, the recommendations of respondents differed from existing practices. Here, respondents were of the opinion that leadership for morale of classified workers should be provided by the personnel director or business manager, both of whom should rely upon the principal to supplement the morale program in the individual school. It was also believed that slightly fewer superintendents and assistant superintendents should assume direct responsibility for morale of classified em ployees. Neither of these two positions was responsible in the large districts for this function and it was not recommended that either should assume the responsibility. 270 Administrator Responsible for Administering the Retirement Program In California it is generally accepted that bene fits derived by certificated and classified employees from a retirement plan are part of the total welfare program. In fact, it is now compulsory for teachers to participate in the retirement program. All districts perform this function and must delegate a person to assume the respon sibility. Table XXX shows the data pertaining to the ad ministrator who is responsible for administering the re tirement program for certificated and classified person nel. It also shows the opinions of respondents concerning the administrator who should carry this responsibility. Existing and recommended practices for certificated employees. Existing and recommended practices were iden tical in all three district classifications. The large districts indicated that either the personnel director or business manager should be responsible for administering the certificated retirement program. A majority of the medium-sized districts selected the personnel director as the best position to which to TABLE XXX ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR ADMINISTERING THE RETIREMENT PROGRAM Existing factors Recommended factors Administrator responsible District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total For certificated employees: Superintendent 1 1 2 4 1 1 2 4 Assistant superintendent - 3 2 5 - 3 2 5 Personnel director 3 6 4 13 3 6 4 13 Assistant superintendent of business 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 Total 6 10 8 24* 6 10 8 24* For classified employees: Assistant superintendent - 1 2 3 - 2 2 4 Personnel director 4 6 4 14 4 6 4 14 Assistant superintendent of business 2 3 3 8 2 2 3 7 Total 6 10 9 25* 6 10 9 25* * The respondent from one large district indicated two positions; and some respondents from medium-sized and small districts did not reply. ro 272 assign this function. Other positions recommended, but with less frequency, were positions at the assistant super intendency level and the superintendent. Half of the respondents from small districts be lieved that the personnel director was the administrator best qualified to perform this function. The superintend ent and assistant superintendent positions were also en dorsed by an equal number of districts, but with somewhat less frequency. Combining all district classifications, 5^ per cent recommended that the personnel director should be given the responsibility of administering the certificated re tirement program; next in rank order was the position at the assistant superintendency level, indicated by 21 per cent of respondents. Existing and recommended practices for classified employees. Responses concerning existing and recommended assignment of responsibility for the classified retirement program were almost identical; therefore only the recom mended practices are here analyzed. A majority of respondents from large districts be lieved that the personnel director should administer the 275 classified retirement program. The only other position mentioned was that of assistant superintendent in charge of business. In medium-sized districts a majority of respondents also named the personnel director as the administrator to be assigned the retirement function for classified work ers. Other positions suggested, in order of frequency of mention, were the business manager and assistant superin tendents. In small districts the positions recommended, in order of frequency, were the personnel director, the busi ness manager, and other assistant superintendents. No re spondent thought that the superintendent should be respon sible for administering the classified retirement program. Combining the replies from all districts, 56 per cent recommended the personnel director, 28 per cent the business manager, and 16 per cent an assistant superin tendent, as the administrator who should be responsible for administering the retirement program for classified employees. 274 Administrator Responsible for Insurance, Recreation, Health, Safety, and Housing Such employee benefits as group insurance, recrea tion, health, safety, and housing are personnel functions usually provided in varying degrees by school districts, regardless of district size. Insurance protection may pertain to such areas as health, medical, surgical, lia bility, and economic loans through the formation of credit unions. Insurance should be looked upon as a safeguard for both school district and employee; benefits also ac crue indirectly to students as a result of this protec tion, for any function which helps to improve teacher morale and to instill in teachers a greater sense of se curity also improves the entire educational effort. Data concerning the district-level administrators who are responsible for administering these important welfare functions are shown in Table XXXI, as are the rec ommendations of respondents. Existing and recommended practices for certificated employees. A majority of respondents from large districts TABLE XXXI ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR INSURANCE, RECREATION, HEALTH, SAFETY AND HOUSING Existing factors Recommended factors Administrator District enrollment size District enrollment size responsible Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total For certificated employees: Superintendent - - 3 3 - - 2 2 Assistant superintendent 1 3 1 5 1 3 2 6 Personnel director 1 2 5 8 1 3 5 9 Assistant superintendent of business - - 1 1 - - 1 1 Others: Administrative cabinet, professional organization 3 5 1 9 2 5 1 8 Total 5 10 11 26 4 11 11 26 For classified employees: Superintendent - - - 0 - - - 0 Assistant superintendent 1 2 2 5 1 2 1 4 Personnel director 3 1 4 8 2 5 4 11 Assistant superintendent of business 1 5 4 10 1 3 5 9 Others: Classified employees' association - 1 - 1 1 1 - 2 Total 5 9 10 24* 5 11 10 26 * Respondents from a few districts did not reply. 275 276 reported that the administrative cabinet and district- wide professional organizations were chiefly responsible for the broad employee welfare services included in this section of the questionnaire, as they pertain to certifi cated employees. The superintendent and business manager were not called upon for this type of welfare responsibil ity. Half of the medium-sized districts also allowed teachers' professional associations to aid in administer ing the broader aspects of the welfare program for cer tificated personnel. The other half of the medium-sized districts utilized the services of either an assistant superintendent position or personnel director. Small districts most frequently assigned to the personnel director the responsibility for insurance, rec reation, health, safety, and housing services for certif icated employees. Superintendents were involved in this function with less frequency. Assistant superintendents, the business manager, and teachers' clubs were used in three small districts. Recommendations concerning welfare services for certificated employees were practically the same as 277 existing practices in all districts, regardless of size: 54 per cent of all respondents recommended that the per sonnel director administer the welfare services; 53 per cent that the total administrative staff or district pro fessional organizations administer them; and 25 per cent that an assistant superintendent undertake these respon sibilities for certificated employees. Existing and recommended practices for classified employees. A majority of respondents from large districts reported that the personnel director was responsible for administering the broad welfare program for classified employees. An assistant superintendent in one district and business manager in another were delegated this duty. In a majority of medium-sized districts the assist ant superintendent in charge of business services per formed these welfare functions. In a minority of medium districts, the assistant superintendency level position, the personnel director, or the classified employee organi zation was responsible for welfare services. The two administrators most frequently responsible in small districts were the personnel director and the business manager; two districts utilized an assistant 278 superintendent. Recommendations made by respondents from large and small districts would continue existing practices, while responses of those from the medium-sized districts devi ated more markedly from existing practices. In the latter classification, while the business manager was most fre quently responsible for the classified welfare services, it was recommended most frequently that the personnel director undertake that responsibility. Combining responses of all districts, 4-3 per cent recommended that the personnel director be made responsible for welfare services, 3^ per cent that it be the business manager; and 16 per cent that it be at the assistant superintendency level. Regardless of district size, superintendents did not carry responsibility for this group of welfare func tions for classified workers, and no respondent thought that they should do so. 279 VII. RECOMMENDED MAJOR AND MINOR PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITIES OP ADMINISTRATORS FOR CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEES In order to facilitate the comparison of respond ents' opinions concerning the district-level administra tors to whom should be assigned the responsibility for various certificated personnel functions, Table XXXII was devised. In this table are summarized the responses from all districts, regardless of size, responses from large, medium, and small districts being presented separately in Tables XXXIII, XXXIV, XXXV, respectively. In Table XXXII the relative numbers of administra tors who were designated as the most logical position to perform or provide leadership in administering certain functions of certificated personnel are expressed in per centages. For example, in 8 per cent of all districts it was recommended that the function of recruitment, apprais al, and selection be made the responsibility of the super intendent. In 56 per cent of all districts the most log ical administrator was thought to be at the assistant superintendency level. It was thought to be the personnel TABLE XXXII 280 : RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE ADMINISTRATORS WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS IN ALL DISTRICTS j 1 ■ ! Per cent of responses Certificated personnel functions Superintendent 1 Assistant sup- ! erintendent Personnel director 1 1 Business manager Other district level personne i 1 Total Recruitment, appraisal, selection 8 36 52 0 4 100 Assignment, transfer 7 43 43 0 7 100 Orientation, in-service training 6 39 25 3 27 100 Evaluation, promotion, termination, discipline 20 28 28 0 24 100 Personnel records 17 25 54 4 0 100 Employee handbooks 8 48 36 0 8 100 Personnel policy formulation 32 22 32 4 10 100 Salary program 43 21 21 6 9 100 Job and position description 12 38 46 0 4 100 Administering leaves 38 16 46 0 0 100 Employee morale 23 23 27 4 23 100 Retirement program 16 21 54 9 0 100 Insurance, recreation, health, safety, housing 9 32 32 9 18 100 Average per cent 18 30 38 2 11 100 Note: All percentages are rounded out to the nearest whole number. 281 TABLE XXXIII RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE ADMINISTRATORS WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS IN LARGE DISTRICTS Per cent of responses Functions for certificated personnel Superintendent Assistant superintendent Personnel director Business manager Other district level personne Total Recruitment, appraisal, selection 0 40 60 0 0 100 Assignment, transfer 0 50 50 0 0 100 Orientation, in-service training 0 50 25 0 25 100 Evaluation, promotion, termination, discipline 0 40 60 0 0 100 Personnel records 0 17 66 17 0 100 Employee handbooks 0 40 40 0 20 100 Personnel policy formulation 0 35 34 0 31 100 Salary program 49 18 17 0 15 100 Job and position description 0 20 60 0 20 100 Administering leaves 40 0 60 0 0 100 Employee morale 0 25 0 0 75 100 Retirement program 17 0 50 33 0 100 Insurance, recreation, health, safety, housing 0 25 25 0 50 100 Average per cent 9 29 43 4 15 100 Note: All percentages are rounded out to the nearest whole number. 282 TABLE XXXIV RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE ADMINISTRATORS WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS IN MEDIUM-SIZED DISTRICTS Per cent of responses Certificated personnel functions Superintendent Assistant superintendent Personnel director Business manager Other district level personne i Total Recruitment, appraisal, selection 0 40 50 0 10 100 Assignment, transfer 0 46 46 0 8 100 Orientation, in-service training 0 26 34 0 40 100 Evaluation, promotion, termination, discipline 16 16 23 0 45 100 Personnel records 11 33 56 0 0 100 Employee handbooks 8 46 46 0 0 100 Personnel policy f cumulation 33 27 33 0 7 100 Salary program 31 38 23 0 8 100 Job and position description 8 46 46 0 0 100 Administering leaves 33 25 42 0 0 100 Employee morale 25 25 42 0 8 100 Retirement program 10 30 60 0 0 100 Insurance, recreation, health, safety, housing 0 28 28 0 44 100 Average per cent 14 33 41 0 12 100 Note: All percentages are rounded out to the nearest whole number. TABLE XXXV 283 RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE ADMINISTRATORS WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS IN SMALL DISTRICTS Per cent of responses I r - l Certificated personnel functions Superintendent Assistant superintendent Personnel director Business manager Other district level personne * Total 1 Recruitment, appraisal, selection 20 30 50 0 0 100 Assignment, transfer 19 36 36 0 9 100 Orientation, in-service training 16 46 16 6 16 100 Evaluation, promotion, termination, discipline 36 36 18 0 10 100 Personnel records 33 22 45 0 0 100 Employee handbooks 11 56 22 0 11 100 Personnel policy formulation 40 10 30 10 10 100 Salary program 54 7 16 16 7 100 Job and position description 20 40 40 0 0 100 Administering leaves 44 12 44 0 0 100 Employee morale 28 22 22 6 22 100 Retirement program 25 25 50 0 0 100 Insurance, recreation, health, safety, housing 18 17 46 9 9 100 Average per cent 28 28 34 4 6 100 Note: All percentages are rounded out to the nearest whole number. 284 director in 52 per cent of the districts. Existing practices in assigning responsibility for certificated personnel functions are not here reported, since the major concern in this part of the study was the securing of recommendations of educators in the field; nevertheless, it was noted in other tables presented in this and previous chapters that in many instances there was great similarity between existing and recommended practices. Basis of Classification of Major and Minor Responsibilities The problem of finding a basis for determining whether a certain personnel function should be classified as a major or minor responsibility of a specific adminis trator was resolved by selecting the frequency with which his specific position was mentioned. The frequency was then divided by the total number of districts which fur nished replies. This yielded the desired percentage. The administrator receiving the highest percentage of recom mendations concerning the various personnel functions was assumed to have a major responsibility in that particular 285 area. Conversely, an administrator was understood to carry only a minor responsibility for a personnel function if another district-level position was recommended more frequently or by a larger percentage of responding dis tricts . Responsibilities of Administrators for Certificated Employees Major and minor responsibilities of superintendents. Respondents from all these district size categories be lieved that the superintendents should have major respon sibilities for the following personnel functions of cer tificated employees: Salary program Personnel policies Minor areas of responsibility recommended for superintend ents were: Administering leaves Employee morale Evaluation, promotion, and termination 286 Major and minor responsibilities at the assistant superlntendency level. Respondents from all three size classifications were of the opinion that an assistant superintendent should have major responsibility for the following functions of certificated employees: Employee handbooks Assignment and transfer Orientation and in-service training Insurance, recreation, health, and safety Evaluation, promotion, and termination It was believed that the assistant superintendency position should have minor responsibilities in the following areas: Job and position descriptions Recruitment, appraisal, and selection Employee morale Personnel policies Salary program Personnel records Retirement program Major and minor responsibilities of personnel directors. It was generally recommended that the person nel directors should assume major responsibility for a 287 greater number of certificated personnel functions than any other administrator (see Table XXXII). This finding also applied to the responses from each size classifica tion (see Tables XXXIII, XXXIV, and XXXV). The functions listed below were recommended as major areas of responsi bility in the administration of certificated employees: Personnel records Retirement program Recruitment, appraisal, and selection Administering leaves Job and position descriptions Assignment and transfer Personnel policies Insurance, recreation, health, and safety Evaluation, promotion, and termination Employee morale The following functions were designated as minor responsi bilities: Employee handbook Orientation and in-service training Salary program 288 Major and minor responsibilities of assistant superintendents in charge of business services. Respond ents recommended that the business manager should not be assigned major or minor responsibilities for any of the functions related to certificated employees. It was sug gested that they aid to a small extent in performing a few functions. Most of the recommendations concerning assigning of such responsibilities to business managers were received from the small districts. Major and minor responsibilities of other district personnel. "Other district personnel" included such posi tions as supervisors, directors of elementary and second ary education, staff consultants, principals, department heads, and professional teacher organizations. It was believed by respondents that these positions and organiza tions (like the business managers) should not be asked to assume any major responsibilities for the administration of certificated employee functions. Nevertheless, these positions were assigned a minor role in the following areas: Orientation and in-service training Evaluation, promotion, and termination Employee morale Respondents from medium-sized large districts suggested the utilization of "other district personnel" to a greater extent than did those from small districts. Summary Analysis of Recommendations, by District Size In order to give a further comparison of the recom mendations of respondents from districts of different sizes, the following summarization of the responses from large, medium, and small districts was arranged: District size Large Medium Small Superintendent 9 14 28 Assistant superintendents 29 33 28 Personnel director 43 41 34 Business manager 4 0 4 Other district personnel 15 12 6 Total per cent 100 100 100 Analysis of these percentages indicates that, in the opinions of respondents, the smaller the school dis trict, the greater the share of personnel responsibility 290 to be borne by the superintendent. Respondents also be lieved that assistant superintendents and personnel direc tors should be assigned approximately the same percentage of responsibility for the certificated personnel program, regardless of district size. It was further recommended that business managers should carry little or no responsi bility for the administration of certificated personnel. Respondents from large and medium-sized districts believed that other district personnel should be utilized to a greater extent than did respondents from small districts. VIII. RECOMMENDED MAJOR AND MINOR PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITIES OP ADMINISTRATORS FOR CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES A summary of the respondents' recommendations con cerning which district administrator should be responsible for various classified personnel functions Is presented in Table XXXVI. In this table are summarized the responses from all districts, regardless of size classification. Responses from large, medium, and small districts are pre sented in tables XXXVII, XXXVIII, and XXXIX, respectively. The classification of major and minor responsibilities TABLE XXXVI 291 RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE ADMINISTRATORS WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS IN ALL DISTRICTS 1 i i 1 ! ! i | Classified ! personnel functions Superintendent j Assistant superintendent J J * 1 ^ Personnel £ director £ 0 1 Business Hl ! manager 1 1 *0 1 Other district- § level personnel ^ ( 0 Total I j Recruitment, appraisal, selection 0 16 52 20 12 100 i Assignment, transfer 3 13 43 28 13 100 j Orientation, in-service training 0 11 29 39 21 100 j ; Evaluation, promotion, j termination, discipline 11 7 34 24 24 100 Personnel records 4 21 57 18 0 100 Employee handbooks 0 19 39 35 8 100 Personnel policy formulation 18 13 33 26 10 100 Salary program 21 18 21 32 8 100 Job and position description 4 14 50 28 4 100 Administering leaves 16 16 48 16 4 100 Employee morale 12 8 27 23 30 100 Retirement program 0 16 56 28 0 100 Insurance, recreation, health, safety, housing 0 19 39 39 5 100 Average per cent 7 15 40 27 11 100 Note; All percentages are rounded out to the nearest whole number. TABLE XXXVII 292 RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE ADMINISTRATORS WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS IN LARGE DISTRICTS Classified personnel functions Superintendent Assistant ^ superintendent J ? n Personnel § director n 0 i - h Business n manager 2 X) 0 Other district- 5 level personnel 2 1 Total Recruitment, appraisal, selection 0 0 66 17 17 100 Assignment, transfer 0 0 66 17 17 100 Orientation, in-service training 0 0 25 25 50 100 Evaluation, promotion, termination, discipline 0 0 60 20 20 100 Personnel records 0 0 83 17 0 100 Employee handbooks 0 0 60 20 20 100 Personnel policy formulation 14 15 28 28 15 100 Salary program 0 0 33 67 0 100 Job and position description 0 0 83 17 0 100 Administering leaves 20 0 60 20 0 100 Employee morale 0 0 20 20 60 100 Retirement program 0 0 67 33 0 100 Insurance, recreation, health, safety, housing 0 20 40 20 20 100 Average per cent 2 3 53 25 17 100 Note: All percentages are rounded out to the nearest whole number. 293 TABLE XXXVIII RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE ADMINISTRATORS WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS IN MEDIUM-SIZED DISTRICTS Per cent of responses Classified personnel functions Superintendent Assistant superintendent Personnel director Business manager Other district level personne Total 1 Recruitment, appraisal, selection 0 20 50 20 10 100 Assignment, transfer 0 46 27 18 9 100 Orientation, in-service training 0 9 37 27 27 100 Evaluation, promotion, termination, discipline 8 8 34 33 17 100 Personnel records 0 31 54 15 0 100 Employee handbooks 0 23 39 31 7 100 Personnel policy formulation 23 15 39 15 8 100 Salary program 17 25 25 25 8 100 Job and position description 0 25 42 25 8 100 Administering leaves 17 25 42 8 8 100 Employee morale 10 10 40 20 20 100 Retirement program 0 20 60 20 0 100 Insurance, recreation, health, safety, housing 0 18 46 27 9 100 Average per cent 5 21 43 21 10 100 Note: All percentages are rounded out to the nearest whole number. 294 TABLE XXXIX RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE ADMINISTRATORS WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS IN SMALL DISTRICTS Per cent of responses Classified personnel functions Superintendent Assistant superintendent Personnel director Business manager Other district level personne Total Recruitment, appraisal, selection 0 22 45 22 11 100 Assignment, transfer 8 17 25 33 17 100 Orientation, in-service training 0 15 23 54 8 100 Evaluation, promotion, termination, discipline 17 8 25 33 17 100 Personnel records 11 22 45 22 0 100 Employee handbooks 0 25 25 50 0 100 Personnel policy formulation 18 9 27 37 9 100 Salary program 30 16 16 31 7 100 Job and position description 10 10 40 40 0 100 Administering leaves 12 13 50 25 0 100 Employee morale 18 10 18 27 27 100 Retirement program 0 22 45 33 0 100 Insurance, recreation, health, safety, housing 0 20 40 50 0 100 Average per cent 10 15 33 35 7 100 Note: All percentages are rounded out to the nearest whole number. 295 was made on the same basis as that described for the cer tificated employees (cf. supra, page 282). Responsibilities of Administrator for Classified Employees Major and minor responsibilities of superintendents. It was recommended by the respondents from all three size categories that the superintendent not assume major re sponsibilities for any of the listed functions of classi fied personnel. Administration of the salary program and of leaves were the only minor functions suggested for the superintendent. It was believed that he should be less active in functions related to classified employees than he should be in functions performed by certificated em ployees. Major and minor responsibilities at the assistant superintendency level. Respondents from all three dis trict size classifications believed that the assistant superintendents should not be assigned major responsibili ties for classified employees. Minor responsibilities were recommended in three areas: 296 Personnel records Insurance, recreation, health, and safety Administering leaves Major and minor responsibilities of personnel direc tors. As was true in the case of certificated employee functions, the personnel director was frequently recom mended as the administrator who should assume responsibil ity for a large number of classified personnel functions. In fact, the personnel director was recommended more often than was any other administrator. Replies from all sizes of districts indicated the belief that the personnel director should be assigned the major responsibility for 85 per cent of the classified personnel functions. These functions were listed as fol lows: Personnel records Retirement program Recruitment, appraisal, and selection Job and position descriptions Administering leaves Assignment and transfer 297 Employee handbook Insurance, recreation, health, and safety Evaluation, promotion, and termination Personnel policies Employee morale Assignment to the personnel director of minor re sponsibilities for the work of classified employees was recommended in the areas of orientation, in-service train ing, and the salary program. In brief summary, it was believed that the personnel director should be involved to some degree in the total classified personnel program. Major and minor responsibilities of assistant superintendents in charge of business services. Respond ents' recommendations were that the business manager should be more directly involved with the functions of classified personnel than with the functions of certifi cated employees. The business manager should be assigned greater responsibility than should either the superintend ent or other assistant superintendents, according to the recommendations of respondent educators. 298 The following functions were recommended as major duties: Insurance Recreation Health and safety Salary program Suggested minor responsibilities included all but two functions. They were as follows: Employee handbooks Assignment and transfer Job and position descriptions Retirement program Personnel policies Evaluation, promotion, and termination Recruitment, appraisal, and selection Administering leaves Major and minor responsibilities of other district personnel. Other district personnel recommended as shar ing the responsibility for classified personnel functions were principals, directors of research, maintenance, and operations, supervisors, and employee organizations. 299 Although it was suggested in some cases that they partic ipate in most of the areas listed, no more than minor responsibilities were recommended in any area. The great est number of recommendations came under the headings of employee morale and evaluation, promotion, and termina tion. Summary Analysis of Recommendations, by District Size In order to give a further comparison of the admin istrative responsibility recommended by the respondents, responses were analyzed on the basis of district size. In Tables XXXVII, XXXVTII, and XXXIX, the data were pre sented in terms of large, medium, and small districts. The percentages indicated the relative frequency with which it was believed that district personnel should as sume responsibility for the functions of classified per sonnel, whether those functions were major or minor in nature. The following summarization of these responses is arranged to facilitate comparison of responses from districts of various size: 500 District size Large Medium Small Superintendent 2 5 10 Assistant superintendents 5 21 15 Personnel director 53 43 33 Business manager 25 21 35 Other district personnel 17 10 7 Total per cent 100 100 100 Analysis of the above percentages indicates the general belief that superintendents should assume in creased responsibility for classified personnel functions in the smaller school districts and to a lesser degree in the larger districts. His responsibility for all func tions of classified employees would be considered minor in nature. Apparently the belief in general that the super intendent should devote more time to the functions of certificated staff members than those of classified em ployees prevailed. In medium-sized districts the belief is more prev alent that an assistant superintendent position should be responsible for the personnel functions of classified em ployees than is true in large districts or in small dis tricts . 501 The findings indicate that the larger the district the more prevalent the belief that the personnel director should be responsible for the personnel functions of classified employees. But, regardless of district size, there is a prevailing opinion that the work performed by classified employees is a responsibility of the personnel director. In the large districts the business manager was the position recommended next most frequently as the one to whom the responsibility for classified employees should be assigned. In medium-sized districts this assignment was recommended by the same number as recommended the use of an assistant superintendent or business manager. In small districts the business manager was recommended most frequently, the personnel director receiving the second most frequent recommendations. While respondents from all district categories rec ommended that other district-level personnel participate in administering a few of the classified personnel func tions, respondents from large districts recommended utili zation of these personnel more often than did those from medium or small districts. 502 IX. SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER This chapter has presented the data and discussed the results of a portion of Part IV of the questionnaire. Twenty-six districts of three size classifications (large, medium, and small) indicated their existing practices and offered their recommendations concerning (l) the personnel functions performed for certificated and classified per sonnel and (2) the administrator who should be responsible for performing them. Twenty-four personnel functions were grouped according to thirteen areas comprising the person nel program of most all the districts. The data presented in Tables XIX through XXXIX pro vide a partial summary of this chapter. The major empha sis has been placed upon the practices recommended by respondents. It was observed that recommended practices were usually similar to the current practices in a majority of the districts. It should also be noted that respondents were concurrently utilized as the jury of specialists for districts of their particular size classification. 505 Findings may be briefly summarized as follows: 1. There is a tendency for the personnel functions to become more complex in nature and to require greater specialization as school districts increase in enrollment. 2. Large, medium, and small districts performed almost all the twenty-four personnel functions listed in the questionnaire. A few districts may not have performed certain functions pertaining to employee welfare. 5. The position of the personnel director is most likely to be assigned responsibility for performing the same functions for both certificated and classified per sonnel . 4. The personnel director and the assistant super intendent in charge of business services were often joint ly responsible for performing the same functions for classified personnel. 5. Because of the numerous factors involved in formulating a salary schedule for both certificated and classified personnel, it was deemed appropriate to use the term "salary program" instead of salary schedule. 6. Evidence supports the assumption that as dis tricts increase in enrollment there is a corresponding decrease in the ability of superintendents to maintain close personal relationships with many employees. If this assumption is valid and if maximum personal relationships among employees are desirable, it would seem wise for districts to add a personnel position to facilitate closer personal relationships with employees of all classifica tions. CHAPTER VII TIME EXPENDITURES REQUIRED OF ADMINISTRATORS FOR VARIOUS PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS I. INTRODUCTION This is the fourth of five chapters presenting the results of the survey of existing and recommended prac tices of personnel administration in selected California school districts as reported by school district adminis trators. The data presented in the preceding three chap ters pertained to (l) identification and description of school districts, (2) the personnel administrator, and (3) the district-level administrator responsible for various personnel functions. In the following chapter the find ings pertaining to the personnel office or department will be presented. It is the purpose of the present chapter to present the data pertaining to the expenditures of time required for the administrator to perform various personnel 505 506 functions. In order to isolate and identify the various pat terns that might appear, five factors are included in most of the tables within this chapter, namely (l) the person nel functions performed; (2) the relative expenditure of time devoted to the personnel functions; (5) existing and recommended expenditures of time; (4) analysis of re sponses on the basis of district size; and (5) analysis of the data as they pertain to certificated and/or classi fied employees. All personnel functions listed in the questionnaire were analyzed here in terms of the relative amount of time required on the part of the personnel ad ministrator. The first factor, the personnel functions per formed, was structured in a short answer form while most other parts of the questionnaire were open-ended ques tions. The interview guide and the trial questionnaire listed thirty-eight separate personnel functions found in the related literature. Suggestions received from re spondents in both of these procedures indicated the need to reduce the list. Therefore, the final questionnaire was composed of only twenty-four separate personnel 507 functions. It was found that these functions could be grouped into related areas to reduce the total number of responses requested. Space was provided to allow respond ents to add personnel functions which were performed; not a single item was added by respondents, possibly indicat ing the satisfactory completeness of the list. The second factor, the relative expenditure of time devoted to the personnel functions, was structured into three categories of response: (l) functions frequently performed; (2) functions occasionally performed; and (3) functions seldom performed. In the final questionnaire five response categories were provided: "continuously," "frequently," "occasionally," "seldom," and "never." So as to reduce the size and complexity of tables, the steps "continuously" and "frequently" were combined, as were the steps "seldom" and "never." It was thought that this slight revision would not materially alter the relative time factor. The third factor, including both existing and rec ommended practices, was presented so that both responses were listed separately in each table. The major emphasis is placed upon recommended practices. In most cases, 308 existing and recommended practices were so similar that in order to avoid needless duplication, the two responses were grouped. Nevertheless, when important differences appeared, the two practices were presented and discussed separately. The fourth factor, an analysis of the data accord ing to the district size (large, medium, and small), is indicated in all tables. The fifth factor is a comparison of responses con cerning certificated and classified employees. It was assumed that the relative expenditure of time given to the various personnel functions might indi cate the degree of importance attached to the functions by administrators. II. SECURING EMPLOYEES One of the most important aspects of personnel ad ministration in public education is the selection of com petent employees. This importance is shown by the efforts of state legislators, the public, and the teaching profes sion generally to bring about legislation requiring higher certification qualifications. However, there exists a shortage of properly qualified teachers, and administra tors are required to devote much of their time to securing desirable employees. The data given in Table XL portray the relative amounts of time expended by personnel admin istrators in quest of qualified employees. Recruitment, Appraisal, and Selection Certificated employees. Respondents of all three district sizes indicated that the functions of recruit ment, appraisal, and selection were performed frequently. All of them also recommended that a "frequent" expendi ture of time was needed to perform these functions. Evi dently a relatively high degree of importance was attached to these functions, since all respondents concurred with the recommendation. Classified employees. It was recommended by more than three fourths of all respondents that the functions of recruitment, appraisal, and selection be performed fre quently. Current practices were reportedly identical to the practices recommended. Only a few medium and small districts performed these functions occasionally or seldom. TABLE XL RELATIVE EXPENDITURE OF TIME FOR RECRUITMENT, APPRAISAL AND SELECTION Responsibility for Degree of attention given Existing factors Recommended factors District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Certificated employees Continuously or frequently 7 10 10 27 5 10 10 25 Occasionally - - - - - - - - Seldom or never - - - - - - - - Total 7 10 10 27* 5 10 10 25 Classified employees Continuously or frequently 6 9 7 22 6 9 7 22 Occasionally - 1 1 2 - 1 1 2 Seldom or never - 1 1 2 - 1 1 2 Total 6 11 9 26* 6 11 9 26* * One large-district respondent denoted more than one administrator, and one smali-district respondent did not reply concerning classified employees. 511 Assignment and Transfer After the selection of the best qualified applicant, the question often arises as to the best possible place ment of the employee. The function of transferring personnel is often considered by administrators, espe cially in the larger districts when new schools are opened and curriculum revisions are instituted. The relative amounts of attention devoted to these functions by admin istrators is shown in Table XLI. Certificated employees. Personnel administrators devoted an amount of time to the assignment and transfer of employees equal to that devoted to securing employees. All of the districts, except one medium-sized district, recommended that these functions should be performed fre quently. Existing practices were identical to recommended practices, indicating that administrators considered as signment and transfer to be very important personnel func tions. Classified employees. A majority of all districts recommended that the functions of assignment and transfer TABLE XLI RELATIVE EXPENDITURE OF TIME FOR ASSIGNMENT AND TRANSFER Degree of attention Existing factors Recommended factors Responsibility District enrollment size District enrollment size for given Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Certificated employees Continuously or frequently 6 10 11 27 6 10 11 27 Occasionally - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 Seldom or never - - - - - - - - Total 6 11 11 28* 6 11 11 28* Classified employees Continuously or frequently 4 9 11 24 4 8 11 23 Occasionally 2 3 - 5 2 3 - 5 Seldom or never - - 1 1 - - 1 1 Total 6 12 12 30* 6 11 12 29* * Respondents from one large district and one small district denoted more than one administrator for certificated employees; and one respondent from each size category denoted more than one adminis trator for classified employees. 513 be administered frequently. Most small districts (91 per cent) concurred with that suggested time expenditure. Approximately one third of the large and medium-sized dis tricts suggested these functions should be performed oc casionally as was their current practice. It would appear from these responses that adminis trators of large districts need to devote relatively less time to these functions than do those of small districts. This assumption may appear to be rather inconsistent and may possibly suggest that the larger districts operate more on a policy basis, and therefore require less time for decision-making as they perform these functions. III. RETENTION AND DISMISSAL OF EMPLOYEES The recruitment and assignment of employees does not complete the personnel functions performed. Employees must be inducted as members of the faculty or work team. This is done by orientating them as to what they may ex pect of the school district and what the district expect3 of them. These functions, and those of in-service train ing, are of great importance to districts of all sizes be cause they aid in accomplishing several crucial objectives. 314 They aid in giving the employee an understanding of the district's philosophy and administrative procedures, and they develop a sense of security in the employees. Orientation and In-service Training One of the problems faced by districts and indi vidual schools is to determine the amount of information to be given to new employees, although some administrators are content to present only sufficient essential informa tion to get new employees off to a good start in the right direction. A week or two after school opens, in-service training begins as the orientation information is ex hausted. In-service education is normally thought of as a continual upgrading of employees through the use of vari ous techniques to improve the instructional program and the district services. The success of the orientation and in-service training program is usually in proportion to the extent of careful planning which precedes it. The data pertain ing to the relative amounts of time expended in planning these functions are presented in Table XLII. Certificated employees. The functions of orienta tion and in-service training were rated by respondents TABLE XLII RELATIVE EXPENDITURE OF TIME FOR ORIENTATION AND IN-SERVICE TRAINING Degree of attention Existing factors Recommended factors Responsibility District enrollment size District enrollment size for given Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Certificated employees Continuously or frequently 9 13 11 33 8 11 12 31 Occasionally - 1 2 3 - 1 1 2 Seldom or never - - - - - - - - Total 9 14 13 36* 8 12 13 33* Classified employees Continuously or frequently 4 9 7 20 4 9 7 20 Occasionally 1 3 6 10 - 2 5 7 Seldom or never - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 Total 5 13 13 31* 4 11 13 28* * Respondents of each district size classification denoted more than one administrator for certificated employees, as did respondents of medium-sized and small districts for classified employees. VjJ v _ n 316 as very important. Almost all of the districts (9^ per cent) indicated that these functions should be performed frequently. Only a few medium and small districts recom mended that these duties should be performed occasionally. Evidence points conclusively to the fact that administra tors conceive of orientation and in-service training pro grams as on-going functions which continue throughout the school year. Classified employees. All respondents from large districts recommended that their orientation and in- service training functions for classified employees be performed frequently. A large majority of those from medium-sized districts (82 per cent), and slightly more than half of those from small districts concurred with this recommendation. Administrators in small districts probably devoted less time to these functions than did those in larger districts because district size allowed for more informal procedures and less complexity of organ izational planning. It was noted that less time was expended for classi fied employees than for certificated employees. This rela tionship existed not alone in orientation and in-service 317 training functions, tut was the rule in most personnel functions studied. Evaluation, Promotion, Discipline, and Termination It is essential for certificated and classified employees to know how they measure up to job requirements. Evaluation should attempt to measure the present and poten tial usefulness of each employee. Certain aspects of the job performance may be measured by concrete facts; yet the administrators do not have recorded facts with which to measure such intangibles as enthusiasm, loyalty, dependa bility, basic attitudes, growth possibilities, and emo tional stability. Nevertheless, these intangibles must be considered in the total evaluation process. Promotions are frequently made on the basis of employee evaluation. Therefore, carefully planned promo tion policies are of great value, regardless of district size. From the employees' viewpoint, sound promotional policies are essential. Without prospects of pay in creases, status, and opportunities for advancement, many employees will move to other districts. No matter how well employees are selected and trained, conflicts can “ be expected to develop, over the long run, in day-to-day work situations and in interper sonal relationships. Friction may result from any of in numerable factors, some of which may be overcome through understanding and cooperation. Yet other problems may call for remedial disciplinary action to correct or remove causal factors; still others may require the termination of employment. All of these responsibilities— evaluation, promotion, discipline, and termination— are functions which require consideration of the employee's record. The data reported in Table XLIII indicate the rela tive expenditure of time that administrators devoted to these functions, and their recommendations concerning such time allotment. Certificated employees. Both current and recom mended practices concerning time expended on the functions of evaluation, promotion, discipline, and termination were identical for all district size categories. These func tions should be performed frequently, according to more than three fourths of the total responses. In a few medium and small districts it was suggested that these TABLE XLIII RELATIVE EXPENDITURE OF TIME FOR EVALUATION, PROMOTION, DISCIPLINE AND TERMINATION Degree of attention Existing factors Recommended factors Responsibility District enrollment size District enrollment size for given Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Certificated employees Continuously or frequently 5 11 9 25 5 11 9 25 Occasionally - 2 2 A - 2 2 A Seldom or never - - - - - - - - Total 5 13 11 29* 5 13 11 29* Classified employees Continuously or frequently A 7 9 20 5 8 8 21 Occasionally 1 5 A 10 - A A 8 Seldom or never - - - - - - - - Total 5 12 13 30* 5 12 12 29* * Respondents from one medium-sized and one small district denoted more than one administrator. 6 T£ 320 functions be administered occasionally. In a few, it was indicated that more than one administrator should devote some degree of attention to these functions. Classified employees. With respect to these func tions as they were performed for classified employees, existing practices differed slightly from recommended practices, respondents suggesting an increase in the time allotted to them. All respondents from large districts believed that the functions should be performed frequently. It was noted that In both medium and small districts, only one third of the administrators expended time on these functions, and those who did performed them only occasion ally. None of the districts indicated these functions should seldom be fulfilled. Analysis of these functions and the others pre viously presented indicates that the larger the district, the greater the probability of an increase in the relative time expended upon personnel functions. This finding per tained to both certificated and classified employees. 521 IV. PERSONNEL RECORDS AND HANDBOOKS There has been a constantly increasing need to maintain records of various types concerning each employee. Several state laws require that certain basic information about employees be kept and made available. These laws, of course, affect every district, no matter how large or small. As was previously explained, having data avail able benefits both the district and its employees. A sys tematic procedure for maintaining records, it is believed, tends to insure the establishment of efficient personnel policies and practices. Personnel Records The keeping of numerous records requires that ad ministrators devote some attention to this function. Table XLIV shows the relative time allotted in fulfillment of this responsibility. Certificated employees. A large majority of re spondents in each size classification stated that maintain ing a system of personnel records was a responsibility which was performed frequently. They recommended that in TABLE XLIV RELATIVE EXPENDITURE OF TIME FOR PERSONNEL RECORDS Degree of attention Existing factors Recommended factors Responsibility District enrollment size District enrollment size for given Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Certificated employees Continuously or frequently 6 8 7 21 6 8 7 21 Occasionally - - 1 1 - - 1 1 Seldom or never - 1 1 2 - 1 1 2 Total 6 9 9 24* 6 9 9 24* Classified employees Continuously or frequently 5 11 7 23 5 12 7 24 Occas ionally 1 - 2 3 1 - 2 3 Seldom or never - 2 - 2 - 1 - 1 Total 6 13 9 28* 6 13 9 28* * Respondents from a few medium-sized and small districts did not respond; and one from a large district denoted more than one administrator. 523 the future the same expenditure of time be allotted to the function. All respondents from large districts recom mended that this function be performed frequently; 78 per cent of those from small districts favored the same allot ment of time. Classified employees. It was indicated by a large majority (82 per cent) of all respondents that maintenance of classified personnel records was a function demanding frequent attention. A slightly larger percentage recom mended the same expenditure of time. By size classifica tions, a slight preponderance of respondents from medium sized districts recommended that frequent attention be allotted to this task. Employee Handbooks The most soundly conceived organizational plan for accomplishing the objectives of a school district can easily come to naught if the communications system is faulty and employees are not advised of objectives, pro cedures, and standards. Employees need to understand both the "why" and the "what" of their work. In order to ac complish the desired degree of understanding, most 324 districts utilize employee handbooks as one primary medium of communication. This technique helps to minimize mis takes and aids unmistakably in many ways to help build good morale. Data concerning the relative amounts of time con sumed in providing handbooks for employees are shown in Table XLV. Certificated employees. Preparation and distribu tion of certificated employee handbooks received less at tention from administrators than did other personnel tasks previously discussed. Respondents from all but one large district and from a slight majority of small districts believed that this function should command frequent atten tion. Only 36 per cent of the medium-sized districts made similar recommendations, most of the latter expressing the opinion that the function should be performed only occa sionally. While respondents undoubtedly appreciated the value of utilizing up-to-date handbooks, it is usually more economical to have handbooks printed at rather infrequent intervals of at least two or more years. Consequently, under this circumstance, this function would not normally TABLE XLV RELATIVE EXPENDITURE OF TIME FOR EMPLOYEE HANDBOOKS Responsibility for Degree of attention given Existing factors Recommended factors District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Certificated employees Continuously or frequently A 3 5 12 4 4 5 13 Occasionally - 5 2 7 1 6 2 9 Seldom or never - 2 2 4 - 1 2 3 Total 4 10 9 23* 5 11 9 25* Classified employees Continuously or frequently 3 3 3 9 3 4 4 11 Occasionally 2 4 1 7 2 6 1 9 Seldom or never - 5 4 9 - 3 3 6 Total 5 12 8 25* 5 13 8 26* * Respondents from a few districts did not respond; and some respondents from medium~sized districts denoted more than one administrator. 326 be continuous in nature. Classified employees. Considering the responses of all districts, regardless of size, fewer than half recommended that the function of providing a handbook be performed frequently. About one third of the districts currently performed this function frequently. A slight majority of respondents from large and small districts indicated the opinion the personnel admin istrator should devote frequent attention to this task. A larger number of administrators in medium-sized dis tricts recommended that only occasional attention be de voted to the handbook function. Slightly more than one third of those from small districts believed that the function could well be performed only infrequently. V. ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS Personnel Policies Personnel policies are usually adopted to provide long-range planning. Administrators must maintain a con stant awareness of employees' attitudes toward specific policies, and must be ready to revise them when staff 527 consensus indicates the need. At the same time, it must be realized that constant revision would lead to confusion and misunderstanding; consequently, stability of policies is also essential. Table XLVI contains the data concerning the rela tive expenditures of time on the part of personnel admin istrators in formulating and revising district personnel policies. Certificated employees. More than half of the re spondents within each size classification suggested that frequent attention should be given to the task of formu lating personnel policies. About one fourth believed that occasional attention would be sufficient. A few from medium and small districts recommended that the policy function be given no more than infrequent attention. Existing expenditures of time by administrators were roughly the same as the time allotments recommended by respondents. Classified employees. As was the pattern for most of the functions previously discussed, less time was de voted to the needs of classified employees than to those TABLE XLVI RELATIVE EXPENDITURE OF TIME FOR PERSONNEL POLICIES Responsibility for Degree of attention Existing factors Recommended factors District enrollment size District enrollment size given Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Certificated employees Continuously or frequently 3 8 6 17 2 8 6 16 Occasionally 1 3 3 7 1 3 3 7 Seldom or never - 4 1 5 - 4 1 5 Total 4 15 10 29* 3 15 10 28* Classified employees Continuously or frequently 3 6 7 16 3 6 6 15 Occasionally 5 5 3 13 5 5 3 13 Seldom or never - 2 1 3 - 2 1 3 Total 8 13 11 32* 8 13 10 31* * Respondents from a few medium-sized districts denoted more than one administrator; and a few respondents failed to answer. VjJ ro oo 529 of certificated employees. Fewer than half of the re spondents from large and medium-sized districts recommended that policies pertaining to classified employees be con sidered occasionally, a few suggesting that more than one administrator should share this responsibility. It was recommended by 60 per cent of the small-district respond ents that consideration of classified personnel policies be a frequent responsibility. A very few respondents from medium and small districts thought that attention to this function should seldom be given. Salary Program It would be hard to find an administrative function more conducive to employee unrest and dissatisfaction than a haphazard approach to salary administration. All per sonnel need to feel they are being fairly compensated for their work. Compensation schedules, no matter how fair and "right" they may seem at the time of adoption, must be re-appraised periodically. Personnel administrators charged with this responsibility must maintain a continu ing check on their salary structure to keep it realistic and in tune with changing conditions. Although similar to the policy function, the salary program of a district is 350 usually formulated on a long-term basis; therefore, only moderate annual revisions are usually necessary. Table XLVII presents the data pertaining to the relative expendi ture of time for the salary administration of certificated and classified employees. Certificated employees. A few districts in each size classification indicated that more than one adminis trator was responsible for the certificated salary program. A majority of respondents from large districts (71 per cent) recommended that the salary function be performed occasionally. A smaller majority of respondents from medium and small districts believed that the function should be given frequent attention. A few in the medium sized category thought that this duty should be given at tention only seldom. It is possible that administrators of large districts were able to devote less time to the salary program because of highly concentrated schedules, and by virtue of delegating this responsibility. Classified employees. Deviating somewhat from the usual pattern, it was recommended by 67 per cent of re spondents that administrators of large and medium-sized TABLE XLVII RELATIVE EXPENDITURE OF TIME FOR THE SALARY PROGRAM Degree of Existing factors Recommended factors Responsibility for attention given District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Certificated employees Continuously or frequently 2 8 7 17 2 8 7 17 Occasionally 5 2 5 12 5 1 6 12 Seldom or never - 3 1 4 - 4 - 4 Total 7 13 13 33* 7 13 13 33* Classified employees Continuously or frequently 2 8 6 16 2 8 6 16 Occasionally 1 2 6 9 1 2 6 9 Seldom or never - 2 1 3 - 2 1 3 Total 3 12 13 28** 3 12 13 28* * A few respondents from districts of each size classification denoted more than one administrator. ** Respondents from a few large districts did not answer; some respondents from medium-sized and small districts denoted more than one administrator. Vj4 'oJ 552 districts devote frequent attention to the salary program for classified employees, while devoting only occasional time-expenditure on the salary program for certificated employees. About half of the respondents from small districts recommended frequent consideration of the salary function, the other half suggesting an occasional expendi ture of time. Here existing and recommended practices were similar as they pertained to both certificated and classified employee salary programs. Job and Position Descriptions Job and position descriptions are necessary for almost all school district positions, whether certificated or classified. These descriptions are important to many personnel functions, i.e., recruitment, job evaluation, and placement and advancement on a salary schedule. They provide a sense of direction and security to employees through their definition of duties, responsibilities, and relationship with other employees. Detailed job specifi cations require considerable time to formulate and revise, and trained persons are needed to accomplish this task. The relative expenditure of time required of administrators to perform this function is disclosed in the data presented 555 in Table XLVIII. Certificated employees. Most of the respondents from large and small districts recommended that the func tion of developing job descriptions be allotted occasional attention. Almost three-fourths of the respondents from medium-sized districts suggested that function be given frequent attention. A frequent allotment of time was also endorsed by 40 per cent of respondents from large and small district classifications. A few respondents of each size category recommended that the current time expendi ture for this function be increased. Classified employees. Two thirds of the respond ents from large districts believed that classified job descriptions should be given frequent attention. It was noticed that relatively more time was expended on classi fied than on certificated position descriptions in large districts. Conversely, a rather high percentage of small district respondents (40 per cent) indicated that this function needed attention only seldom. More than half of the medium-sized-district respondents suggested that fre quent time expenditure should be allotted in order to TABLE XLVIII RELATIVE EXPENDITURE OF TIME FOR PREPARING JOB AND POSITION DESCRIPTIONS Degree of Existing factors Recommended factors Responsibility for attention given District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Certificated employees Continuously or frequently 2 7 3 12 2 8 4 14 Occasionally 3 2 6 11 3 2 5 10 Seldom or never - 2 1 3 - 1 1 2 Total 5 11 10 26 5 11 10 26 Classified employees Continuously or frequently 4 6 2 12 4 7 3 14 Occasionally 2 2 4 8 2 2 3 7 Seldom or never - 4 4 8 - 3 4 7 Total 6 12 10 28* 6 12 10 28 * Respondents from a few large and medium-sized districts denoted more than one administrator. V j J V> 1 4 = - perform the task with adequacy. However, one fourth of the respondents in the same size classification recom mended that attention be given to this function only sel dom. Considering the responses from all districts, a slight increase in time allotment was recommended. Leave Program Numerous types of leaves were discussed in connec tion with the findings presented in the previous chapters A program of leaves serves many purposes in a school dis trict: it encourages employees to further their education it provides security because of sick leave; and it gener ally improves employee morale as a result of the addi tional fringe benefits provided. A wide assortment of policies must be developed and records maintained to ad minister the leave program. Data pertaining to the rela tive expenditure of time required of personnel adminis trators to perform these responsibilities are presented in Table XLIX. Certificated employees. More than half of the re spondents from large districts and slightly fewer than half of those from medium and small districts indicated TABLE XLIX RELATIVE EXPENDITURE OF TIME FOR ADMINISTERING THE LEAVE PROGRAM Degree of attention Existing factors Recommended factors Responsibility District enrollment size District enrollment size for given Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Certificated employees Continuously or frequently 3 5 4 12 3 5 4 12 Occasionally 2 4 4 10 2 4 4 10 Seldom or never - 3 1 4 - 3 1 4 Total 5 12 9 26* 5 12 9 26* Classified employees Continuously or frequently 3 5 2 10 3 5 2 10 Occasionally 2 3 4 9 2 3 4 9 Seldom or never - 4 2 6 - 4 2 6 Total 5 12 8 25* 5 12 8 25* * The respondent from one medium-sized district denoted more than one administrator, and respondents from some small districts did not answer. V>! V» J o\ 337 that frequent attention was given to the leave program for certificated employees. Combining all three size classifications, it was found that more than one third of the administrators occasionally performed this function. In a few medium and small districts, administrators seldom were concerned with the certificated leave program. Rec ommendations of respondents followed identically their re ports of existing practices. Classified employees. The existing practices of school districts and the recommendations of respondents were the same concerning the relative expenditure of time devoted to the leave programs for classified employees. For this particular function, the findings indicated that the larger the school district, the more attention was required to perform all aspects of the leave program. Among large districts, 60 per cent performed the function frequently, while in small districts only 25 per cent of administrators gave frequent attention to it. Exactly half of the small district administrators were occasion ally involved in this function. Approximately one third of those in medium-sized districts seldom administered the 558 leave program. VI. EMPLOYEE WELFARE According to the related literature, personnel ad ministrators are now giving more than lip service to em ployee welfare. Emphasis was placed upon the importance of good human relations in the attainment of high morale, and upon the need to expand provisions for various fringe benefits. Employee Morale One of the primary objectives of the personnel pro gram is to build good morale among all employees by devel oping a desire to strive for common goals. Morale is a complex and intangible factor, usually reflected in the employee's reaction and attitude toward his work. Good morale does not Just happen; keen insight and proper ad ministration of the personnel function are needed to se cure and retain it. Table L shows the relative expendi ture of time given by personnel administrators toward the development of good morale. TABLE L RELATIVE EXPENDITURE OF TIME GIVEN TO EMPLOYEE MORALE Responsibility for Degree of Existing factors Recommended factors attention given District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Certificated employees Continuously or frequently 3 15 11 29 4 10 11 25 Occasionally 1 1 2 4 - 2 2 4 Seldom or never - 1 1 2 - - 1 1 Total 4 17 14 35* 4 12 14 30* Classified employees Continuously or frequently 3 11 8 22 4 6 8 18 Occasionally 2 1 - 3 1 2 - 3 Seldom or never - 3 3 6 - 2 3 5 Total 5 15 11 31* 5 10 11 26* * Respondents from several medium-sized and small districts denoted more than one administrator. Certificated employees. Considering responses of all districts, it was recommended by 84 per cent of re spondents that personnel administrators devote frequent attention to the morale of certificated employees. All respondents from large districts concurred with this sug gestion, while 79 per cent of those from small districts agreed. A few respondents from medium and small districts indicated that more than one administrator should assume the morale function responsibility. The percentages of existing and recommended practices in this matter were ap proximately equal. Classified employees. The relative expenditure of time recommended for the development of morale among clas sified employees was denoted as frequent by 69 per cent of all the respondents. More large district replies en dorsed frequent attention, while responses from medium sized districts expressed the opinion that few adminis trators should devote frequent attention. A few medium - and small-district responses suggested that only seldom attention be given to the morale function. A lesser ex penditure of time was given to the morale of classified employees than to the morale of certificated employees. 34l Retirement Program Administering a retirement program for employees usually involves keeping the required records and keeping employees informed regarding all aspects of the program that concerns them. The data pertaining to the relative time devoted to this function by administrators are given in Table LI. Certificated employees. It was recommended that slightly more than half of the administrators, regardless of district size, should devote frequent attention to the retirement program. Slightly fewer than half thought that an occasional expenditure of time would be suffi cient. No respondent believed that the function should seldom be performed. When the responses were analyzed by separate size classifications, more than three fourths of the responses from large districts recommended fre quent attention. Approximately two thirds of the small- district replies suggested the need for only occasional attention. Hence, large districts, as a rule, usually allotted more time to administering the retirement pro gram for certificated personnel. TABLE LI RELATIVE EXPENDITURE OF TIME FOR ADMINISTERING THE RETIREMENT PROGRAM Degree of Existing factors Recommended factors Responsibility attention District enrollment size District enrollment size for given Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Certificated employees Continuously or frequently 5 5 3 13 5 5 3 13 Occasionally 1 5 5 11 1 5 5 11 Seldom or never - - - - - - - - Total 6 10 8 24* 6 10 8 24* Classified employees Continuously or frequently 5 5 3 13 5 5 3 13 Occasionally 1 5 5 11 1 5 5 11 Seldom or never - - 1 1 - - 1 1 Total 6 10 9 25* 6 10 9 25* * A few respondents from medium-sized and small districts did not answer; and a respondent from a large district denoted more than one administrator. V>J - f = Classified employees. The existing and recom mended practices for classified and certificated employ ees were identical for districts of each size classifi cation. Respondents recommended practically the same relative expenditure of time for the retirement program for classified workers as for that for certificated em ployees. Insurance. Recreation, Health, Safety, and Housing When a school district furnishes (or helps to pro vide) employees with security through insurance, recrea tion, and housing facilities, and demonstrates concern for their health and safety, it does so with the confi dent hope that good morale will result. Providing for these services is one of the district's most effective means of demonstrating its continuing interest in the welfare of every employee as an individual. The rela tive expenditure of time devoted to these services by personnel administrators is shown in the data presented in Table LII. TABLE LII RELATIVE EXPENDITURE OF TIME FOR WELFARE FUNCTIONS: RECREATION, INSURANCE, HEALTH, SAFETY AND HOUSING Degree of attention Existing factors Recommended factors Responsibility District enrollment size District enrollment size for given Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Certificated employees Continuously or frequently 2 4 8 14 1 4 8 13 Occasionally 2 - 4 6 2 2 4 8 Seldom or never - 1 1 2 - - 1 1 Total 4 5 13 22* 3 6 13 22* Classified employees Continuously or frequently 1 3 3 7 1 3 3 7 Occasionally 4 2 4 10 4 3 4 11 Seldom or never - 2 2 4 - 1 2 3 Total 5 7 9 21** 5 7 9 21** * Respondents from some large and medium-sized districts did ** Respondents from a few medium-sized and small districts did not answer. . not answer. 4=- 545 Certificated employees♦ A greater expenditure of time and an expression of opinion that these functions were of greater importance than might have been expected were indicated by respondents. Both existing and recom mended time allotments were approximately the same. About two thirds of the respondents from large districts believed that occasional attention to these functions was sufficient. Approximately two thirds of the responses from medium and small districts contained the recommenda tion that administrators frequently perform these func tions. A few large districts and about half of the medium-sized districts did not make recommendations con cerning these services. This might possibly suggest that some of these related personnel functions were not pro vided. In contrast, a few small districts indicated that more than one administrator should share these responsi bilities. Classified employees. It was recommended by a majority of all respondents (55 per cent) that welfare services for classified employees be performed occasion ally by district-level administrators. It was suggested by 20 per cent of those from large districts, by 45 per 546 cent of those from medium-sized districts, and by 55 per cent of those from small districts that frequent atten tion be given to these functions. Existing and recom mended practices were closely similar. VII. SUMMARY OF EXISTING AND RECOMMENDED EXPENDITURES OF TIME Functions for Certificated Personnel The data presented in the preceding tables of this chapter are here summarized as a whole, the responses being combined without regard to district size classifi cations. The summary table, Table LIII, presents the data pertaining to existing and recommended expenditures of time for different groupings of related personnel functions which affect certificated personnel. The anal ysis of the data included a determination of the total number of district-level administrators (and in some in stances school principals) who were responsible for the given personnel functions. In further analysis, relative amounts of time expended for each function were expressed in terms of a three-point scale: (l) personnel functions 547 TABLE LIII SUMMARY OP THE EXISTING AND RECOMMENDED EXPENDITURES OP TIME REQUIRED FOR PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS FOR CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEES Relative Existing Recommended Personnel expenditure -Practices-----Eractlces_ function of time No. Per cent No. Per cent 1. Recruitment, Frequently 27 100 25 100 appraisal, Occasion and selec ally 0 00 0 00 tion Seldom 0 00 0 00 2. Transfer Frequently 27 96 27 96 and Occasion Assignment ally 1 04 1 04 Seldom 0 00 0 00 5. Orientation Frequently 55 91 51 94 and in- Occasion service ally 5 09 2 06 training Seldom 0 00 0 00 4. Evaluation, Frequently 25 86 25 86 promotion, Occasion termination ally 4 14 4 14 and Seldom 0 00 0 00 discipline 5. Personnel records Frequently Occasion 21 88 21 88 ally 1 04 1 04 Seldom 2 08 2 08 6. Employee handbooks Frequently Occasion 12 52 15 52 ally 7 51 9 56 Seldom 4 17 5 12 TABLE LIII (continued) 548 Relative Existing Recommended Personnel Expenditure — Prac. 4. i?. gs — P£ac^. i£g. 3 function of time No. Per cent No. Per cent 7. Personnel policies Frequently Occasion 17 59 16 57 ally 7 24 7 25 Seldom 5 17 5 18 8. Salary program Frequently Occasion 17 52 17 52 ally 12 56 12 56 Seldom 4 12 4 12 9. Job and position Frequently Occasion 12 46 14 54 descrip ally 11 42 10 40 tions Seldom 5 12 2 06 10. Leave program Frequently Occasion 12 46 12 46 ally 10 40 10 40 Seldom 4 14 4 14 11. Employee morale Frequently Occasion 29 85 25 84 ally 4 11 4 15 Seldom 2 06 1 05 12. Retire ment Frequently Occasion 15 54 15 54 program ally 11 46 11 46 Seldom 0 00 0 00 15. Insurance, recreation, Frequently Occasion 14 64 15 59 health, ally 6 27 8 56 safety, and housing Seldom 2 09 1 05 349 frequently performed, (2) personnel functions occasion ally performed, and (3) personnel functions seldom per formed. Percentages were obtained for each group of personnel functions. In order to secure a more detailed analysis, Table LIV was prepared so that the recommenda tions of respondents could be seen in terms of district size classifications. A summary of the more important findings gleaned from the data shown in Tables LIII and LIV is given below. 1. The personnel functions which were performed most commonly, and which at least three fourths of the respondents believed should receive the greatest expendi ture of time, are given below: Recruitment, appraisal, and selection Transfer and assignment Orientation and in-service training Evaluation, promotion, and termination Personnel records Development of employee morale 2. Other personnel functions continuously or fre quently performed in at least half of the districts, and 550 TABLE LIV SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING EXPENDITURE OF TIME ON FUNCTIONS PERFORMED FOR CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEES IN RELATION TO DISTRICT SIZE Recommended Relative practices,. Personnel expenditure Percentage of function_______________of time_________Large Medium Small 1. Recruitment, Frequently 100 100 100 appraisal, Occasionally 0 0 0 and selection Seldom 0 0 0 2. Transfer Frequently 100 91 100 and Occasionally 0 9 0 Assignment Seldom 0 0 0 5. Orientation Frequently 100 91 92 and in-service Occasionally 0 9 8 training Seldom 0 0 0 4. Evaluation, Frequently 100 85 82 promotion, Occasionally 0 15 18 termination, Seldom 0 0 0 and discipline 5- Personnel Frequently 100 89 78 records Occasionally 0 0 11 Seldom 0 11 11 6. Employee Frequently 80 36 56 handbooks Occasionally 20 55 22 Seldom 0 9 22 7. Personnel Frequently 67 53 60 policies Occasionally 35 20 30 Seldom 0 27 10 551 TABLE LIV (continued) Relative expenditure of time Recommended practices Personnel function Percentage Large Medium of Small 8. Salary Frequently 29 6i 54 program Occasionally 71 r * t > 46 Seldom 0 51 0 9. Job and Frequently 40 75 40 position Occasionally 60 18 50 descriptions Seldom 0 9 10 10. Leave Frequently 60 42 45 program Occasionally 40 55 44 Seldom 0 25 11 11. Employee Frequently 100 85 79 morale Occasionally 0 17 14 Seldom 0 0 7 12. Retirement Frequently 85 50 57 program Occasionally 17 50 65 Seldom 0 0 0 15. Insurance, Frequently 55 67 62 recreation, Occasionally 67 55 51 health, safety, and housing Seldom 0 0 7 552 which also received recommendations for extensive expendi ture of time were as follows: Employee handbook Personnel policies Salary program Job and position descriptions Retirement program Insurance, recreation, health, safety, and housing 3. Administration of the leave program was the only function not performed or recommended to be performed frequently by a majority of the districts. 4. Recruitment, appraisal, and selection was the only group of related personnel functions performed and recommended to be performed most frequently by all dis tricts . 5. On three functions which were performed fre quently there was marked difference between existing and recommended expenditures of time. It was recommended that the function of job and position description be given slightly increased attention than current practice indi cated. 555 6. The following functions were performed occa sionally or next in order of importance and were recom mended to he performed occasionally by from a third to a half of all respondents. Employee handbook Salary program Job and position descriptions Leave program Retirement program 7. The function given the least amount of atten tion was the formulation of personnel policies. 8. Almost all of the thirteen listed personnel functions were performed and recommended to be performed by almost all districts. 9. Large-district respondents usually recommended a greater expenditure of time for personnel functions than did medium-sized or small districts. Functions for Classified Personnel The data pertaining to classified employees were analyzed in the same manner as for certificated employees. Table LV shows the existing and recommended relative ex penditures of time that personnel administrators do and 354 TABLE LV SUMMARY OP THE EXISTING AND RECOMMENDED EXPENDITURES OF TIME REQUIRED FOR PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS FOR CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES Relative Existing Recommended Personnel expenditure — Practices — practices function of time No. Per cent No. Per cent 1. Recruitment, Frequently 22 84 22 84 appraisal, Occasion and selec ally 2 08 2 08 tion Seldom 2 08 2 08 2. Transfer Frequently 80 80 23 80 and Occasion assignment ally 5 17 5 17 Seldom 1 03 1 03 5. Orientation Frequently 20 65 20 71 and in- Occasion service ally 10 32 7 25 training Seldom 1 03 1 04 4. Evaluation, Frequently 20 67 21 72 promotion, Occasion termina ally 10 33 8 28 tion, and Seldom 0 00 0 00 discipline 5. Personnel Frequently 23 82 24 86 records Occasion ally 3 11 3 11 Seldom 2 07 2 03 6. Employee Frequently 9 36 11 42 handbooks Occasion ally 7 28 9 35 Seldom 9 36 6 23 555 TABLE LV (continued) Personnel function Relative expenditure of time Existing practices Recommended practices No. Per cent No. Per cent 7. Personnel policies Frequently Occasion 16 50 15 48 ally 15 41 15 42 Seldom 5 09 5 10 8. Salary program Frequently Occasion 16 57 16 57 ally 9 52 9 52 Seldom 5 11 5 11 9. Job and position Frequently Occasion 12 42 14 50 descrip ally 8 29 7 25 tions Seldom 8 29 7 25 10. Leave program Frequently Occasion 10 40 10 40 ally 9 56 9 56 Seldom 6 24 6 24 11. Employee morale Frequently Occasion 22 71 18 69 ally 5 10 5 12 Seldom 6 19 5 19 12. Retirement program Frequently Occasion 15 52 15 52 ally 11 44 11 44 Seldom 1 04 1 04 15. Insurance, recreation, Frequently Occasion 7 55 7 55 health, ally 10 48 11 55 safety, and housing Seldom 4 19 5 14 356 should allot to the performance of various classified per sonnel functions in all districts, regardless of size. The recommended relative time allotments for large, medium, and small districts are shown in Table LVT. Briefly summarized, the more important findings taken from the data exhibited in Tables LV and LVT are as follows: 1. More than three fourths of the respondents indicated that the greatest amount of attention was given to the following classified personnel functions: Recruitment, appraisal, and selection Transfer and assignment Personnel records 2. Other functions given the same expenditure of time by at least half of the district personnel adminis trators were the following: Orientation and in-service training Evaluation, promotion, termination, and discipline Retirement program Salary program Preparation of job and position descriptions 557 TABLE LVI SUMMARY OP RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING EXPENDITURE OP TIME ON FUNCTIONS PERFORMED FOR CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES, IN RELATION TO DISTRICT SIZE Recommended Relative practices Personnel expenditure Percentage of function of time Large Medium Small 1. Recruitment, Frequently 100 82 78 appraisal, Occasionally 0 9 11 and selection Seldom 0 9 11 2. Transfer Frequently 67 75 91 and Occasionally 55 27 0 assignment Seldom 0 0 9 5. Orientation Frequently 100 82 54 and in-service Occasionally 0 18 59 training Seldom 0 0 7 4. Evaluation, Frequently 100 67 67 promotion, Occasionally 0 55 55 termination, Seldom 0 0 0 and discipline 5. Personnel Frequently 85 92 78 records Occasionally 17 0 22 Seldom 0 8 0 6. Employee Frequently 60 51 50 handbooks Occasionally 40 46 12 Seldom 0 25 58 7. Personnel Frequently 58 46 60 policies Occasionally 62 59 50 Seldom 0 15 10 358 TABLE LVI (continued) Recommended Relative practices Personnel expenditure Percentage of function of time Large Medium Small 8. Salary Frequently 67 67 46 program Occasionally 33 17 46 Seldom 0 16 8 9. Job and Frequently 67 58 30 position Occasionally 40 25 50 descriptions Seldom 0 33 25 10. Leave Frequently 60 42 25 program Occasionally 40 25 50 Seldom 0 33 25 11. Employee Frequently 80 60 73 morale Occasionally 20 20 0 Seldom 0 20 27 12. Retirement Frequently 83 50 33 program Occasionally 17 50 56 Seldom 0 0 11 13. Insurance, Frequently 20 43 33 recreation, Occasionally 80 43 45 health, Seldom 0 14 22 safety, and housing 359 Employee morale Respondents recommended generally that slightly increased attention be given to these functions. 5. Employee welfare was the only group of related functions that a majority of respondents thought should receive only occasional or an average allotment of time. 4. The function on which there was the greatest difference between existing and recommended practices was preparation of job and position descriptions. A greater expenditure of time was endorsed. 5. Almost all respondents recommended continuation of current practices with respect to relative expenditures of time devoted to classified personnel functions. 6. Personnel administrators in large districts devoted more time to functions performed in the interest of classified employees than did those in medium and small districts. CHAPTER VIII ORGANIZATION OF THE DISTRICT PERSONNEL OFFICE OR DEPARTMENT I. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this chapter is to determine the administrative practices followed in developing, organiz ing, and operating a personnel department for school dis tricts of the three size classifications included in the survey. One phase of this topic was discussed in a pre vious chapter, namely, the personnel administrator. The personnel administrator is the head or director of the personnel department in districts which have such a de partment. This chapter reveals current and recommended practices as reported by respondents. The survey results are analyzed and presented in an effort to aid other school districts in planning and developing personnel de partments or offices. 361 Specifically, this chapter explores the internal organization of the personnel department; the line and staff relationships of the personnel administrator with other district-level positions; the number of employees in a department or office; and the best type of personnel or ganization for large, medium, and small school districts. Effort is also directed toward determining the factors re lated to the evolvement of the personnel program. Information secured from the related literature and the pilot study indicated that few districts possess a highly centralized personnel department. Therefore, a distinction was made between the personnel department and the personnel office. For purposes of this study the "personnel department" was defined as a separate division organized specifically to administer the personnel program of a district. A single administrator would likely be designated as head of the department; to him would be assigned the responsibility for administering all, or al most all, of the personnel functions for all employees. Only a few districts in this study possessed this type of personnel department. 562 The terra "personnel office" is thought of as the district office in which an administrator is assigned the major responsibility for the personnel program. Usually the head of the personnel office has responsibilities in addition to personnel. The personnel structure may or may not be centralized. Most of the districts in this study possessed a personnel office rather than a personnel department. The chief source of data for this chapter was a questionnaire sent to school districts. Part III of the questionnaire was devoted entirely to the personnel de partment or office; therefore, the subsections of this chapter will be formed by the responses to questions in this section of the survey. As was the case in the pre ceding chapter, the respondents were asked to reply largely to open-ended questions. Respondents were asked to indicate their existing practices and to make recom mendations concerning them. The tabulation of results is so arranged that comparisons may be made between existing and recommended practices. 565 II. LINES OF RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR, AND THE POSITIONS RESPONSIBLE TO HIM Lines of Authority and Responsibility The complete administrative organizational struc ture of the school districts was not surveyed. The struc ture was studied only as the internal organization of the personnel department related itself to other departments or offices. Organizational structure is defined herein as an invisible framework by which the work of various departments and individuals within a department are fitted Into a cooperative and effective team. The development of organizational structure involves agreement upon areas of authority and responsibility. This means that every one In an administrative capacity in the school district should know his authority and responsibilities, as well as the authority and responsibilities of others in the struc ture . The first question in this section of the survey requested the districts to name the position to which the administrator of the personnel department was directly 564 responsible. Responses to this question are shown in Table LVII. Existing practices. In all but one of the large districts the personnel administrator was directly re sponsible to the superintendent. In the other large dis trict he was responsible to an assistant superintendent in charge of Instruction. All except two medium-sized districts replied that the personnel administrator re ported directly to the superintendent. The personnel di rector in one district reported to an associate superin tendent in charge of instruction. One district indicated that the administrator responsible for personnel reported directly to the board of education. This plan would be considered poor administrative practice but in this par ticular district the superintendent retained major respon sibility for the personnel program. As a consequence, the existence of dual authority did not prevail. In all of the small districts the personnel administrator was directly responsible to the superintendent. Most of the administrators responsible for personnel were assistant superintendents, a few being personnel directors or admin istrative assistants. All but three of the small TABLE LVII POSITION TO WHICH THE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE Position to which personnel administrator is responsible Existing factors Recommended factors District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Superintendent 4 9 10 23 5 10 10 25 Assistant superintendent 1 - - 1 - - - - Associate superintendent - 1 - 1 - - - - Board of education - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 Total 5 11 10 26 5 11 10 26 VjJ o\ Ul 566 districts had two district-level administrators other than the superintendent. Superintendents in four small dis tricts retained the major responsibility for personnel. In current practice, 88 per cent of the adminis trators responsible for personnel reported directly to the superintendent. A large majority of the personnel ad ministrators (all except those reporting to an assistant or associate superintendent) were considered to be on the assistant superlntendency level. Recommended practices. There was unanimous en dorsement by all districts, regardless of size classifi cation, that the personnel administrator should be directly responsible to the superintendent. The lone ex ception was a response from a medium-sized district where the superintendent retained the personnel responsibility; he indicated direct responsibility to the board of educa tion. This particular recommendation does not conflict with those of other districts. Certificated Employees in the Personnel Administrator1s Office Respondents were asked to name the other district- level certificated employees in the personnel office, i.e., 567 those employed In addition to the personnel administrator. Only a few positions were listed, as may be seen in the data reported in Table LVTII. It will be noted that, except for the positions of directors of elementary and secondary education, respond ents1 recommendations were similar to their reports of current practices. In 8l per cent of the districts, no additional certificated employees were hired in the per sonnel office other than the administrator in charge of personnel. Small districts reported not a single addi tional position. Medium-sized districts listed the great est number of such positions, although the assigned re sponsibilities were not totally related to personnel duties. The efforts of these employees, one may assume, were directed largely toward the instructional program, since the employees were responsible to an assistant superintendent in charge of instruction and personnel. The position of personnel assistant was the one position most frequently mentioned as functioning in the personnel office. Respondents' recommendations concerning the type of certificated employees who should be employed in the TABLE LVIII CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEES OTHER THAN THE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR, IN THE PERSONNEL OFFICE Existing factors Recommended factors Certificated employees District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Curriculum supervisor - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 Director of elementary education - 1 - 1 - - - - Director of secondary education - 1 - 1 - - - - Personnel assistant 2 1 - 3 2 1 - 3 No additional personnel 3 8 10 21 3 8 10 21 Total responses 5 13 10 28* 5 11 10 26 * The respondent from one medium-sized district indicated more than one position. 369 personnel office were similar to their reports of current practices. Classified Employees in the Personnel Administrator’s Office Table LIX contains a report of the number of dis trict-level classified employees who were assigned to the personnel office. In all districts either a secretary or clerk performed the personnel clerical duties. In a few medium-sized districts and in a large majority of the small districts, the clerical employees did not devote all of their time to personnel duties. Usually, the head of the personnel office had additional administrative duties which required dual clerical duties for the secre tary or clerk. A separate personnel clerk was found in three medium-sized districts and a director of maintenance and operation in a small district. These data further substantiate the finding that very few districts in this study maintained a personnel department per se. Most districts usually had a personnel office composed of the personnel administrator and a TABLE LIX CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES IN THE PERSONNEL OFFICE Classified employees Existing factors Recommended factors District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Director of maintenance and operation - - 1 1 - - 1 1 Personnel clerk - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 Secretary and/or clerk 5 11 10 26 5 11 10 26 Total 5 14 11 30* 5 14 11 30* * The respondent from one medium-sized district indicated more than one position. 371 secretary or clerk. Usually the administrator had addi tional responsibilities other than personnel. Respondents' recommendations regarding the type of classified employees who should be assigned to the person nel office were identical to their reports of current practices. The Number of Employees in the Personnel Office or Department Districts were asked to indicate the number of cer tificated and classified personnel assigned to the person nel department, if such a department existed. Table LX reveals the average number of certificated and classified district employees in each of five enrollment classifica tions. No attempt was made to ascertain the specific titles and duties of employees; the sole purpose was to ascertain the average number of certificated and classi fied employees required to staff a personnel department or office in districts of the five size classifications. Existing practices. As expected, as districts in creased in size, their needs for additional personnel in creased. 372 TABLE LX NUMBER OF EQUIVALENT FULL-TIME CERTIFICATED AND CLASSIFIED POSITIONS REQUIRED TO PERFORM PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, AS RELATED TO ENROLLMENT LEVELS Enrollment level Number of certificated positions Number of classified positions 5,000 - 7*000 Less than 1 1 7,000 -10,000 1 2 10,000 -15,000 1 3 15,000 -17,000 2 3 18,000 -22,000 2 4 575 Recommended practices. Recommendations regarding the number of employees to be utilized in a personnel de partment were suggested by twenty respondents. Generally, all of them endorsed approximately the same number of cer tificated and classified positions they currently utilized. All respondents recommended a slight augmentation in per sonnel; nearly all recommended increases amounting to less than half of one position. Viewing the Individual responses of all districts, little, if any, uniformity was found between the size of school districts and the number of certificated and classi fied personnel recommended for personnel offices. However, examination of the averages for the five district sizes (see Table LX) reveals an orderly sequence of increase in the number of personnel needed as a greater number of cer tificated and classified personnel positions in personnel departments than did the smaller categories. According to the over-all recommendations of re spondent personnel administrators, personnel offices in districts with enrollments between 5,000 and 7,000 would be staffed by slightly less than one certificated position and one classified position. The second category, districts 37^ with enrollments between 7,000 and 10,000, would possess one certificated and two classified positions. The third district enrollment level, between 10,000 and 13*000, would continue to maintain one certificated position but would add the third classified position. Districts with enrollments between 13,000 and 17,000, the fourth size, would have two certificated positions and three classified positions. For this stage of organization and development of the district personnel program, the biggest ratio of certificated to classified positions seemed to be needed. The fifth category, districts with enrollments between 18,000 and 22,000, would staff the personnel department with two certificated positions and four classified posi tions. Staffed with these numbers of certificated and classified positions, respondents indicated that the re quired personnel administrative and clerical duties could be performed adequately. On the basis of the data shown in Table LX, the following ratios of certificated to classified personnel would be in line with the recommendations of respondent personnel administrators: (l) Districts with enrollments between 5,000 and 7,000 would have a ratio of one half of 375 a certificated position to one classified position; (2) the ratio would be 1:2 in districts with enrollments be tween 7,000 and 10,000; (3) the ratio would be 1:3 in dis tricts with enrollments between 10,000 and 13,000; (4) the ratio would be 2:3 in districts with enrollments between 13,000 and 17*000; and (5) the ratio would be 1:2 in dis tricts with enrollments between 17,000 and 22,000. It will be seen that proportionately the greatest number of certificated personnel are needed in the 13,GOO- 17, 000 enrollment bracket, and the greatest proportion of classified personnel in the 10,000-13,000 enrollment cate gory. III. AREAS OP LINE AND STAFF RESPONSIBILITY The Line and Staff Relationships of the Personnel Administrator It has been observed that the status of the person nel administrator in school districts is extensively af fected by his line or staff assignment. The terms "line" and "staff" as first used in the military services were later carried over by management in industry. Education has used the terns with somewhat the same connotation. A line relationship implies explicit, direct authority; it is responsibility with authority in two channels or direc tions. The direction up the line allows one to report and to be responsible to the superintendent or another of im mediate authority. The downward direction of the line gives the same individual responsibility and commensurate authority to perform certain assigned functions, either by himself or through delegation of authority to other employees. Staff responsibilities denote an administrator who is a specialist in certain areas of education. He is an advisor or supervisor and performs largely as a service agent. A staff member may advise numerous departments, administrators, and teachers but he has no authority to require that his advice or services be accepted. Through his knowledge and service to others, the recipient may make wiser decisions but the staff officer is not respon sible for making major decisions nor for carrying them out. Therefore, the final responsibility rests with an other administrator. The question asked in the survey was: "Does the person or persons having personnel administrative 377 responsibilities at the district level have line author ity, advisory relationship, or both?" The purpose of the question was to determine line and staff responsibilities of the personnel administrator, with the hope that this determination might furnish a clue to his actual level of operation. Replies to this question are shown in Table LXI. According to the data on existing practices, dis tricts of all three size classifications had closely sim ilar percentages of personnel administrators with line authority, staff duties, and combined line and staff re sponsibilities . In large districts, a somewhat lower percentage of personnel administrators had line or staff responsibili ties, while a larger percentage had combined line and staff responsibilities. In medium-sized districts, fewer personnel administrators served in a combined line and staff relationship. Percentages for the small districts were almost identical to the average percentages for all districts. Fifty per cent of the districts assigned combined line and staff responsibilities to the personnel 578 TABLE LXI LINE AND STAFF RELATIONSHIP OF THE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR Relationship District size Large Medium Small Total Per cent Line Staff 8 50.8 19.2 Combined line and staff 15 50.0 Totals 5 11 10 26 100.0 379 administrator; 30.8 per cent of the districts assigned line responsibilities, the superintendent usually perform ing the personnel duties in these cases; while in 19.2 per cent of the districts the personnel administrator operated purely in an advisory capacity. Areas in Which the Personnel Administrator Has Line Authority at the District Level As stated earlier in this chapter, the line rela tionship implies explicit and direct authority. It is a two-way responsibility up and down the administrative or ganizational chart. Having anticipated that a relatively high percentage of districts assigned combined line and staff responsibilities to its personnel administrators, an additional question was asked relating to the specific areas in which the personnel administrator had line authority and areas in which he served solely in an ad visory capacity. Secondary administrative positions with line authority in almost all districts reported to the superintendent. In order to ascertain the areas in which the per sonnel administrators had line authority, they were asked 580 the following question: "In what areas does the person nel administrator have line authority at the district level?" Respondents were given four examples of possible areas. It was an open-ended question designed to elicit free unstructured replies. Table LXII discloses the responses concerning existing and recommended practices. Existing practices. Large districts reported nine areas in which the personnel administrator had line authority. The areas of assignment, transfer, and person nel policies were each enumerated by four districts. These responses by a majority of large districts indicated conclusively that the personnel administrator has line authority in performing these functions. The following four functions were reported only once: recruitment, se lection, rating, and leaves. There is no indication that these functions were administered as a line responsibil ity in most large districts. Respondents from medium-sized districts gave answers which were identical to those of the large dis tricts. Most frequently assumed responsibilities were assignment, transfer, personnel policies, and the person nel budget. The first three functions named were TABLE LXII RESPONSIBILITIES FOR WHICH PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATORS HAVE LINE AUTHORITY Line respons ibi1ities Existing factors District enrollment size Recommended factors District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Assignment 4 6 5 15 3 6 6 15 Personnel policies 4 5 3 12 2 4 5 11 Transfer 4 5 3 12 3 5 3 11 Personnel budget 3 3 3 9 1 5 3 9 Selection 1 2 3 6 1 2 3 6 Recruitment 1 1 - 2 1 2 1 4 All personnel functions - 1 1 2 - 1 1 2 Instruction - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 In-service training - 1 - 1 1 1 - 2 Termination - 1 1 2 - 1 1 2 Orientation - 1 - 1 1 1 - 2 Ratings 1 1 - 2 1 - - 1 Guidance service - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 Placement and transfer - - - 0 - 1 - 1 Recommendations - - - 0 - 1 - 1 Superintendent1s council 1 - - 1 - - - 0 Leaves 1 - - 1 - - - 0 Salary schedule - 1 - 1 - - - 0 Administrative routine - 1 - 1 - - - 0 No response - - 2 2 2 - 1 3 Total 20 32 19 71 14 33 23 70 Note: Most districts indicated more than one function. VjJ CD responsibilities for which a majority of the nine medium sized -district administrators carried line authority. Fifteen separate functions were presented, each of the following being mentioned either once or twice: selection, instruction, recruitment, in-service training, termina tion, ratings, guidance service, orientation, and salary schedules. Probably most medium-sized districts assigned the personnel administrator line authority in assignment, transfer, and personnel policies, but this is inconclusive. The determination of the assignment of the other twelve areas as line functions probably rests on the individual administrative ability of the district personnel officer and the type of district-level organization. The seven small districts which participated indi cated seven separate functions; a total of nineteen func tions are shown in Table LXII, indicating that each dis trict recorded at least one function. The only area which received a majority of responses was the function of assignment. The following four functions received strong support as a line responsibility, each being tal lied by three districts: personnel budget, personnel pol icies, transfer, and selection. Two other areas, 385 termination and all areas* were named only once. Combining the total replies from all twenty-one districts, the following findings were noted. A total of seventeen separate functions was reported. Some areas were recorded many times; considering the duplications, a combined total of 71 responses was received. Of the five districts which did not respond, three indicated that they did not have a personnel department. Assignment, transfer, personnel policies, the per sonnel budget, and selection were functions mentioned most often. The personnel administrator performs these func tions usually as a line responsibility. Recommended practices. Two of the five large dis tricts failed to reply to this question. The districts that did respond tended to recommend the same line func tions they were currently performing, except in the area of the personnel budget. Assignment, transfer, and per sonnel policies received strong support. Less support was given to the following line functions, each of which was recommended but once: personnel budget, recruitment, selection, in-service training, rating, and orientation. Respondents from all but one of the medium-sized districts made recommendations. Like those from large districts, they prescribed that the personnel administra tor's line functions be similar to current practices. Assignment, transfer, personnel policies, and the person nel budget received majority support. One recommendation deviated from current practice: stronger support was rec ommended for formulation of the personnel budget as a line responsibility. Other tasks performed with little frequency as line responsibilities were: recruitment, selection, instruction, all areas within the office, in- service training, guidance services, orientation, place ment and transfer, and employment recommendations. Recommendations received from the eight small dis tricts favored assignment and the formulation of personnel policies as line responsibilities. One deviation from existing practice was recommended, i.e., greater responsi bility for formulating personnel policies as a line re sponsibility. Areas of transfer, selection, and the per sonnel budget were recommended as line functions to a les ser degree than is currently being practiced. Taken as a whole, responses from twenty-one dis tricts recommended that fifteen separate functions be 385 administered by the personnel position as a line responsi bility. Pour areas (assignment, personnel policies, transfer, and the personnel budget) were recommended by a majority of respondents. A minority endorsed the follow ing functions as line responsibilities: selection, in struction, in-service training, termination, all areas, orientation, rating, guidance services, placement and transfer, and employment recommendations. Areas on which there was agreement that they are assigned as a line responsibility of the personnel admin istrator were assignment, transfer, personnel policies, and possibly the personnel budget. General acceptance of the other listed areas as line responsibilities was not apparent in the responses. Areas in Which the Personnel Administrator Has an Advisory (Staff) Relationship at the District Level The performance of administrative duties in a staff relationship denotes a responsibility performed in an ad visory, supervisory, or service capacity. Effort was directed toward determining the specific staff functions of personnel administrators; it was also desired to secure 386 respondents' recommendations concerning personnel adminis trative staff functions. Table LXIII discloses the re sponses to the two survey questions pertaining to these responsibilities. Existing practices. All four large districts which responded to this query stipulated nine separate functions were being treated as staff responsibilities. But of these nine functions, only two— in-service training and instruction— were the only two on which there was definite agreement. Assignment, evaluation of personnel, and per sonnel budget were mentioned by two of the four respond ents from large districts; therefore, these areas could not be interpreted conclusively as being staff functions in large districts. Responses were received from all of the medium dis tricts, and sixteen functions received scattered mention. Two functions— evaluation of personnel, and assignment— were listed by four districts as being performed as staff functions by personnel administrators. But this was only a 23 per cent response, and was not indicative of general acceptance in medium districts. Other functions listed more than once, yet receiving endorsement by fewer than TABLE LXIII RESPONSIBILITIES FOR WHICH PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATORS HAVE STAFF (ADVISORY) RELATIONSHIP Existing factors Recommended factors Staff District enrollment size District enrollment size responsibility Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Assignment 2 4 5 11 1 5 5 11 In-service training 3 3 3 9 1 3 3 7 Transfers - 2 2 4 - 3 2 5 Personnel policies 1 - 3 4 1 - 4 5 Personnel budget 2 1 - 3 2 2 - 4 Evaluation of personnel 2 4 - 6 2 2 - 4 Instruction 3 2 - 5 2 2 - 4 Employment - - 2 2 - - 2 2 All areas - 1 2 3 - 1 1 2 Dismissal - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 Ratings - - - 0 - 2 - 2 Business functions 1 1 - 2 1 1 - 2 Orientation 1 1 - 2 - 1 - Special services 1 - - 1 1 - Supervision - 1 - 1 - 1 - Work with assistant superintendent - 1 - 1 - 1 - Retention - 1 - 1 - 1 - Work standards - 1 - 1 - 1 - Welfare - 1 - 1 ■ - 1 - V>l oo TABLE LXIII (continued) RESPONSIBILITIES FOR WHICH PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATORS HAVE STAFF (ADVISORY) RELATIONSHIP Existing factors Recommended factors Staff responsibility District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Public relations - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 Recruitment - - 1 1 - - 1 1 Establishment of jobs - - 1 1 - - 1 1 Classification of jobs - - 1 1 - - 1 1 No response 1 1 2 1 • 1 2 Total 17 28 21 66 12 30 21 63 Note: Most districts indicated more than one function. 00 00 589 four respondents, were: in-service training, instruction, transfer, and dismissal. There was lack of conclusive agreement among the nine small-district respondents concerning acceptance of specific personnel duties as staff functions. Only one function (assignment) was noted by more than half of the small districts. Since this response was contradictory to a previous response by the same respondent group, five of whom had assigned the same function as a line responsi bility, this response can be disregarded. Other functions being performed as a staff responsibility less often were in-service training, personnel policies, all areas, trans fers, and employment. Combining the responses of all twenty-four dis tricts, no single function was considered to be purely a staff responsibility in a majority of the districts. As signment was the only area which received clear support, eleven districts indicating its performance as a staff function. However, naming assignment as a staff responsi bility becomes less meaningful when one observes that fif teen districts classified the same function as a line responsibility and recommended that it be so assigned. 390 In-service training, evaluation, and instruction received a small degree of support as a staff responsibility, each being endorsed by at least five districts. Combining all responses, twenty-three separate 3taff responsibilities were listed. Most districts listed two or more functions, but no strong inference concerning general practice among districts could be drawn. A major ity of large districts considered in-service training and instruction to be staff responsibilities. Assignment also received majority support in small districts. The func tions of in-service training, instruction, and evaluation of personnel received stronger support as staff responsi bilities than as line responsibilities. In-service training and assignment were considered to be staff functions, regardless of district size. In struction and evaluation were not performed as staff func tions in small districts. The small districts placed greater emphasis upon personnel policies, employment, and all areas within the office as staff responsibilities than did the large or medium districts. Since the data re vealed no common pattern of practices, it must be con cluded that a wide variety of personnel organizations 591 exist. Responses from some districts were hazy as to whether specific personnel functions were line or staff responsibilities. - Recommended practices. Recommendations received from large districts gave no majority opinion regarding any function which was considered to be a staff responsi bility of the personnel administrator. Of even greater interest was the fact that no certain functions were rec ommended as staff responsibilities, even though some were currently assigned such status. For example, in three large districts in-service training was currently a staff function, but only one district recommended that it be retained as a staff function. Instruction, assignment, and orientation assumed less importance in the recommenda tions. Eight separate functions were suggested as staff responsibilities by the large-district respondents. In all, twelve functions were recommended,* this was five less than were being practiced currently. Recommendations given by respondents from medium sized districts were very similar to current practices. Notable differences were observed in the areas of assign ment, evaluation of personnel, personnel budget, transfers, 392 and rating. While four medium-sized districts were or ganized with personnel evaluation as a staff responsibil ity, only two districts recommended that it be assigned this type of responsibility. The areas of assignment, personnel budget, and rating received slightly stronger support as staff responsibilities than as current prac tice. All medium districts answered this question; seven teen separate functions were recommended as staff responsi bilities of the personnel administrator. In small districts, recommended practices were al most identical to existing practices. Two changes were noted, but were so slight as to be unimportant. Nine dis tricts recommended staff status for ten separate person nel functions, but none were given majority support. Ap parently there is little agreement among small districts as to the functions which should be assigned as staff re sponsibilities of the personnel administrator. Grouping all replies of all sizes of districts, recommendations were entirely inconclusive with respect to functions which should be assigned to the personnel admin istrator as staff responsibilities. There was a small degree of agreement, regardless of district size, that 395 In-service training should be a staff function. The function mentioned most often was that of as signment. The significance of this finding is offset by the fact that this function (assignment) was also men tioned most frequently as a line function. Under the com mon understanding of the terms line and staff, It is dif ficult to visualize how some districts could perform the function of assignment as both a line and staff responsi bility. Respondents from medium and small districts were especially uncertain and lacking in agreement as to the line and staff responsibilities of the personnel adminis trator. A previous finding revealed that more than 50 per cent of respondents from medium and small districts failed to stipulate in writing the personnel functions performed in their districts. Respondents seemed to understand line functions more clearly than staff functions. They were also able to define them. Staff responsibilities of the personnel administrator were usually undefined, lacking direction and agreement. 394 IV. THE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR'S RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER DISTRICT- LEVEL ADMINISTRATORS Relationship to the Assistant Superintendent in Charge of Business Services In the preceding section, the specific functions performed by personnel administrators as line or staff responsibilities were discussed. In this and the subse quent three sections the relationships of the head of the personnel department or office to other district-level positions are studied. In order to obtain information concerning the rela tionship, respondents were asked, "What is the line and advisory or staff relationship between the personnel ad ministrator and the following positions?" Two district- level positions and that of school principal were listed so that respondents could indicate whether relationships were (a) line, (b) advisory, or (c) both. Space was pro vided for additional responses. As is shown in Table LXIV, replies were received from all districts. TABLE LXIV RELATIONSHIP OF THE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR TO THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF BUSINESS SERVICES Relationship Existing factors Recommended factors District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Line relationship - 1 3 4 - 1 3 4 Advisory relationship 5 7 6 18 5 8 6 19 Both line and advisory relationship - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 No such position exists in district - 1 1 2 - - 1 1 Total 5 11 10 26 5 11 10 26 596 Existing relationship. The position of assistant superintendent in charge of business services or business manager existed in all large districts. All five indi cated that there was a staff relationship between this position and the personnel administrator. Regardless of the level of authority between these two positions, an advisory relationship existed. A staff relationship was maintained in 64 per cent of medium-sized districts. In one medium-sized district a line relationship existed but the superintendent was responsible for the personnel program. In another dis trict, the position of assistant superintendent in charge of business or business manager was nonexistent. Two dis tricts operated with a combined line and staff relation ship between the two positions. A line relationship was more common in small than in large or medium-sized districts. This finding undoubt edly resulted from the fact that there were few district- level administrators in small districts where the superin tendent is more deeply involved in the personnel program. Even so, in a majority of small districts (60 per cent) an advisory relationship existed between personnel 397 administrator and business manager. One small district did not employ a business manager. A staff relationship existed between the adminis trators of personnel and business services in 69 per cent of all districts. A line relationship prevailed in four districts, usually because the superintendent retained responsibility for the personnel program. Only two dis tricts operated without a separate position for business management. Recommended relationship. All large districts recommended that the personnel administrator have an ad visory relationship to the business manager, regardless of the level of authority of the two positions. A majority of medium-sized districts (64 per cent) likewise endorsed the purely advisory relationship. A combined line and staff relationship was recommended by two medium-sized districts. In one such district the personnel administra tor was a deputy superintendent and in the other he had the title of personnel director. A majority of small dis tricts (60 per cent) also expressed a preference for a staff relationship. The superintendents in a few of the small districts were responsible for the major portion of 398 the personnel program. As a result, more small districts than large or medium-sized districts recommended the con tinuance of the line relationship to the business manager. Of the twenty-six districts responding, 75 per cent strongly recommended that the personnel administrator main tain an advisory relationship with the administrator in charge of business services. A line relationship was rec ommended by 15 per cent of all districts because the per sonnel program was administered largely by the superin tendent . Thus, a large majority of respondents in this sur vey favored the formulation of an advisory relationship between the personnel administrator and business manager. The only exception to this viewpoint occurred in small dis tricts where the superintendent serves in a dual capacity of superintendent and personnel administrator. Relationship to the Assistant Superintendent in Charge of Instruction Another district-level position with which the per sonnel administrator works closely is the administrator in charge of the instructional program. The existing and rec ommended relationships between these two positions are shown in Table LXV. 399 Existing relationship. In a majority of the large districts a staff relationship existed between the admin istrators responsible for personnel and for the curriculum program. A line relationship existed in one large dis trict , where the administrator in charge of the instruc tional program was an assistant superintendent. Here the total personnel program was under the direction of a per sonnel director who was responsible to the assistant super intendent. A combined line and staff relationship did not exist between these two positions in any of the large dis tricts. In another large district the administrator in charge of the Instructional program was also responsible for the personnel program. There were more medium-sized districts than large and small districts which operated In a line relationship. In each of three medium-sized districts there was a per sonnel director, while the administrator in charge of the instructional program was a superintendent or assistant superintendent. Thus, the level of authority determined the relationship. However, an advisory relationship was most frequently utilized for all medium-sized districts. TABLE LXV RELATIONSHIP OF THE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR TO THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT IN CHARGE OF INSTRUCTION Existing factors Recommended factors Relationship District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Line relationship 1 3 1 5 1 1 1 3 Advisory relationship 3 4 5 12 3 6 5 14 Both line and advisory 2 2 4 - 2 2 4 Same position as the personnel administrator 1 2 2 5 1 2 2 5 Total 5 11 10 26 5 11 10 26 4oo 401 A combined line and staff relationship existed in two medi um-sized districts. All districts of this size classifica tion maintained an administrative position which was re sponsible for the instructional program. Two such adminis trators were also responsible largely for the personnel program. A staff relationship between these two positions was maintained in 50 per cent of the small districts. In two districts in which both personnel directors and assist ant superintendents in charge of instruction were em ployed, a combined line and staff relationship prevailed. An administrator in charge of curriculum and personnel was found to exist in two small districts. Combining the existing practices in all districts, 46 per cent maintained a staff relationship between the administrator of curriculum and that of personnel. This is a much lower percentage than that which existed in the staff relationship between personnel administrator and business manager. A few more districts established a line relationship between the administrator in charge of in struction and the personnel director than between the per sonnel director and the business manager. In 19 per cent of districts the same administrator was responsible for 402 instruction and personnel. Recommended relationship. Both large and small district recommendations were Identical to current prac tices. Recommendations differing from current practices were noted in medium-sized districts. They recommended less line authority and an increase of advisory relation ship between the administrator in charge of instruction and the personnel administrator. All district recommendations favored a staff rela tionship and less emphasis upon the line relationship. All respondents recommended that a personnel position sim ilar to that of the assistant superintendent in charge of instruction exist in all districts. Relationship to School Principals Although this study was limited basically to posi tions at the district level, personnel administrators work closely with school principals in performing many of their functions. Therefore, an attempt was made to determine the relationship between these two positions. No effort was made to ascertain whether the principals were at the elementary or secondary level. In all probability there 405 were more elementary than secondary principals since the survey included only unified and common elementary and secondary districts. Appearing in Table LXVI are the responses regarding the personnel administrators' rela tionships with school principals. Existing relationship. Large districts were rather evenly distributed as to relationships between personnel administrators and local school principals. A line rela tionship existed in one large district, in two others it was advisory, and in the other two it was a combined line and staff relationship. Medium-sized districts also were evenly distributed, with no majority relationship exist ing. In a majority of small districts, however, an ad visory relationship existed. Summarizing the responses from all three district size classifications, the most frequently established relationship between personnel administrators and princi pals was advisory. Next most frequent was a combined line and staff relationship. Straight line authority existed to a lesser degree. In districts where a line relation ship was established, a superintendent or assistant super intendent usually carried responsibility for personnel. TABLE LXVI RELATIONSHIP OF THE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR TO THE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS Relattonship Existing factors Recommended factors District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Line relationship 1 3 2 6 1 2 1 4 Advisory relationship 2 4 6 12 2 6 7 15 Both line and advisory relationship 2 4 2 8 2 3 2 7 Total 5 11 10 26 5 11 10 26 404 Recommended relationship. A majority of all dis tricts (58 per cent) recommended an advisory relationship between principal and personnel administrator. A higher percentage of medium-sized and small than of large dis tricts prescribed a staff relationship. Slightly less utilization of line and combined line and staff relation ship was recommended. Since a majority of districts favored a staff relationship, it can undoubtedly be con cluded that the advisory relationship operates satisfac torily in most districts of the size categories included in this study. Relationship with Other Pistrict- Level Personnel Besides the positions of assistant superintendent in charge of business services and instruction, and the local school principals, the personnel administrator works with various other personnel at the district level. It could be assumed that the superintendent was a district- level position which would function in a line relationship with the personnel administrator. Therefore, the super intendent was not included with other personnel. 4o6 The data revealed that existing and recommended relationships between the personnel administrator and other district-level positions were almost identical. These positions are grouped as one, referred to as "other district-level personnel," as they are shown in Table LXVII. Most districts failed to respond to the question regarding other district-level positions. In all proba bility most of the nonrespondent districts did not have many, if any, additional certificated personnel in dis trict personnel offices. An earlier finding regarding additional district employees indicated that this might be true. The two large districts which replied employed a director of special services and a director of research; it was recommended that these two positions maintained a staff relationship with the personnel administrator. In medium-sized districts, directors of guidance, research, and instructional supplies were additional dis trict office employees. In most of these districts it was recommended that the personnel administrator have either a staff or combined line and staff relationship TABLE LXVII RELATIONSHIP OF THE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR TO OTHER DISTRICT-LEVEL PERSONNEL Existing factors Recommended factors Relationship District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Line relationship 1 1 h - » 2 - 2 Advisory relationship 2 2 1 5 2 2 2 6 Both line and advisory relationship No response, or no additional district-level personnel employed in the district 19 17 Total 11 10 26 11 10 26 ■fr O 408 with these positions. Most of the small districts (90 per cent) named no additional positions. A consultant was mentioned in one district, working in an advisory capacity with the personnel administrator. Two small districts recommended an advisory relationship between personnel administrator and other district office certificated personnel. Summarizing the responses from all districts, a large majority reported no additional district-level personnel; it was assumed that few such positions existed other than those previously discussed. Most of the "other district-level personnel" re ported were directors or consultants. A majority of dis tricts having other district-level personnel recommended that these positions operate in an advisory relationship with the personnel administrator. V. DISTRICTS HAVING WRITTEN STATEMENTS OP PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS Written Functions of the Personnel Administrator In Chapter VII numerous personnel functions 409 performed by various district-level administrators are dis cussed. In this section of the survey an effort was made to determine whether or not the personnel functions to be performed were specified in writing. The question, "Are the functions of the personnel administrator in writing?" was asked the respondents. Table LXVIII shows the re sponses to this question. Existing practices. More than half of the dis tricts included in this study (56 per cent) indicated that written personnel functions had been established in their districts. Samples of written personnel functions were not requested; therefore the completeness or incom pleteness of the enumerated functions could not be deter mined . The data indicate a definite relationship between the size of district and the probability of its having established written statements of personnel functions. All the large districts had such written statements, while only about half of the medium-sized and small districts had completed this task. TABLE LXVIII DISTRICTS HAVING WRITTEN STATEMENTS OF PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITIES Items: (1) "Are the responsibilities of the personnel administrator in writing?" (2) "Should they be in writing?" Existing factors Recommended factors District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Yes 5 5 4 14 5 10 9 24 No - 6 5 11 - - - - No response - - 1 1 - 1 1 2 Total 5 11 10 26 5 11 10 26 410 411 Recommended practices. All respondents, regard less of district size, suggested that personnel functions should be stated in writing. Where Personnel Functions Are Specified As was previously stated, respondents from twenty- four of the twenty-six participating districts were of the opinion that personnel functions should be in writing. The fourteen districts that did have written statements of personnel functions stated where the functions were speci fied. Table LXIX shows their answers and recommendations. Existing practices. Combining responses from all districts, regardless of size, mention was made of eight different places where statements of personnel functions were placed. Large and medium-sized districts showed a preference for defining the functions in an administrative guide. Other large districts also utilized organizational charts, code and procedure booklets, and the board rules and regulations. Medium districts tended to place the statements of personnel functions in their district poli cies and in job descriptions used to fill vacant positions. TABLE LXIX WHERE WRITTEN STATEMENTS OF PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITIES ARE FOUND Location Existing factors Recommended factors District enrollment size District enrollment size Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total In duty statement - - 1 1 - - - - In district policies - 1 1 2 - 1 1 2 In board rules and regulations 1 - 1 2 1 3 4 8 In administration guide 2 3 1 6 2 5 3 10 In job description £or filling positions - 1 - 1 - - - - In organization chart 1 - - 1 1 - - 1 In code and procedure book 1 - - 1 1 - - 1 Not in writing - 6 5 11 - - - - No response - - 1 1 - 2 3 5 Total 5 11 10 26 5 11 11* 27* 4=- * One small district made two recommendations. £ 4l5 There was a lack of uniformity among small districts. The four districts which reported that they had written state ments of personnel functions utilized four different places for recording these functions. Incorporation of these statements in the administrative guide was reported most frequently. Recommended practices. Each of the five large dis tricts was satisfied with its method of recording the function of the personnel administrator; each recommended that its current practice he continued. Medium-sized dis tricts most often endorsed the administrative guide as the place to record the personnel functions. The second choice for this group was the board rules and regulations. The small districts favored using the same two sources, showing some slight preference for the board rules and regulations. Summarizing responses from all districts, utiliza tion of the administrative guide was recommended most often; incorporation in the board rules and regulations was the second choice. District size did not seem to be a factor in the preference for either of these two recom mendations, but size was definitely a factor in determining 4l4 which districts currently provided written statements of personnel functions for personnel administrators. It would seem wise for districts to have these functions specified in the administrative guide rather than in the board rules and regulations. This would allow districts greater flexibility and ease in changing the duties or functions of the personnel administrator as a result of factors of growth and reassignment of district-level per sonnel . VI. EVOLVEMENT OP THE PERSONNEL OFFICE OR DEPARTMENT Determination of Need for a Separate Personnel Office or Department All districts responded to the question, "Should a school district of your enrollment have a separate per sonnel department?" The literature disclosed two different philosophies concerning the organization of the personnel program of school districts. These two basic viewpoints referred to the centralization or decentralization of the personnel organization. If a district incorporates the centralized 415 plan, nearly all personnel functions are performed by a single department or office. In the centralized plan (which exists in only a few districts in this survey), the operation of the department is the sole responsibility of one administrator. According to the decentralized plan of organization, the personnel responsibilities are shared by two or more administrators in different departments or offices. It was the purpose of the above question to deter mine the type of organization of personnel services pre ferred in the school districts included in the survey. Table LXX discloses the attitude of respondents regarding the separate (centralized) personnel department. All respondents expressed their opinions on this question. Six respondents thought that their districts did not need a separate personnel department, each un doubtedly preferring its present type of organization. Half of these districts were classified as small districts. Seventy per cent of the small districts recommended the formation of a separate personnel department or office. Currently, the personnel department or office In small districts is being administered usually by assistant TABLE LXX OPINIONS OF ADMINISTRATORS CONCERNING WHETHER DISTRICTS SHOULD HAVE A SEPARATE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT Item: "Should districts have a separate personnel department?" Size of d i s t r i c t Response Large Medium Small Total Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent Yes 4 80 9 81.8 7 70 20 76.9 No 1 20 2 18.2 5 30 . 6 23.1 Total 5 100 11 100 10 100 26 100 416 417 superintendents. Table LXX also indicates that the larger the district, the greater probability of its having a personnel department. Formation of a personnel depart ment was recommended by 82 per cent of the medium-sized districts and 80 per cent of the large districts. Consid ering districts of all three size classifications, 77 per cent recommended a plan encompassing a separate personnel department or office. These findings confirm the assumption that in medium-sized and small districts, personnel departments are not as common as in large districts. It is probable that school districts smaller than those Included in the survey do not have personnel departments. Conversely, there is greater probability that districts larger than those included in this survey have established a personnel department. However, the data reveal conclusively that most school districts in this survey endorse some degree of a centralized personnel department or office. Further data regarding the type of personnel organ ization found in the districts are shown in Table LXXII. 418 I i Factors Considered In the Development of a Personnel Office or Department Districts having a personnel department or office, whether centralized or decentralized, were asked the fol lowing question: "Why did a separate district personnel i department evolve in your district?” The purpose of the question was to secure wise counsel from experienced personnel administrators in Cali fornia public schools as to the significant factors to j be considered in the inauguration of a personnel depart ment. Respondents offered eight major reasons why the development of a personnel department was necessary in their districts. Table LXXI discloses these factors. Regardless of district size classification, re spondents mentioned about an equal number of factors which were considered in developing their personnel programs. As the reasons were analyzed, it is apparent that some factors were of greater importance to some districts than to other size classifications. Growth due to enrollment increases was the chief factor considered in large districts. Enrollment growth necessitates the addition of personnel in order to maintain 419 TABLE LXXI REASONS WHY A PERSONNEL OFFICE OR DEPARTMENT EVOLVED Reason Size Large of district Medium Small Total Growth due to enroll ment 4 2 1 7 Increased personnel problems and responsibilities 1 4 1 6 Administrative overload 1 2 2 5 Coordination of person nel records 1 1 2 4 Centralized personnel responsibilities 1 1 2 4 Procurement of person nel 1 1 1 3 Systematized personnel policies - 1 2 3 Change in attitude of board of education 1 1 - 2 Orientation of person nel 1 - - 1 Totals 11 13 11 34 420 a reasonable teacher-pupil and classified-pupil ratio. Other factors considered by large districts were (l) coor dination of the total personnel program: records, orienta tion, in-service training, procurement, and personnel pol icies; (2) administrative reorganization, placing all per sonnel functions under one administrator within a single department; (35) bringing about a decrease in administra tive work loads resulting from mounting personnel problems and demands for additional services for district personnel (4) change of attitude by the board of education and a de sire partially to relieve principals of the personnel re sponsibility so that they may devote more time to the in structional program. Medium-sized districts likewise reflected enrollment growth as an important factor, but observed that increases in personnel problems and in administrators' reponsibili- ties were prime considerations. Like the large districts, they were attempting to develop a coordinated system of records, to refine procurement techniques, to compensate for an overloaded administrative staff, and to formulate systematized personnel policies through the evolvement of a personnel department or office. In contrast, growth was not a primary factor in small districts. Their principal concerns in developing a * » • 421 personnel department or office were (l) coordination of the total personnel program through the centralized handling of all personnel problems; (2) development of proper personnel procedures and policies to attain competent administration of the personnel program; (3) the need for adequate and complete personnel records; (4) a plan to increase the dis trict staff because of administrative overload. To a lesser degree, the factors of procurement of personnel, growth, and increased personnel problems were mentioned by the small districts. In summary, reasons given by all districts, regard less of size classification, for the development of a per sonnel department or office, in order of frequency of men tion, were (l) enrollment growth, (2) increased personnel problems and responsibilities, (3) administrative overload of district staff, (4) desire to coordinate all personnel records, (5) centralized handling of the personnel func tions, (6) procurement of certificated and classified per sonnel, (7) systematized personnel policies, (8) change in attitude of the board of education toward personnel admin istrators, and (9) orientation of new personnel. In solving personnel problems and developing a per sonnel department or office, small districts were more con cerned about systematized policies, coordination of rec ords, centralization, and administrative overload. 422 Increased personnel problems and responsibilities, growth, and administrative overload were factors of greater con cern to medium-sized districts. By far the most important reason given by large districts was growth, bringing about increased enrollments. Large districts were also con cerned, but to a lesser degree, with many of the factors mentioned by medium and small districts, but had already passed through some of the stages of development being ex perienced by the smaller districts. VII. THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE PERSONNEL OFFICE OR DEPARTMENT Personnel Organizational Patterns In this section are discussed the various types of personnel organizational patterns currently utilized by school districts in the survey. Also presented are recom mendations as to the best type of personnel organization for large, medium, and small school districts. When personnel offices are created in school dis trict organizations, responsibilities already assigned to other district offices need to be re-evaluated and re assigned. The effort Is made in growing districts to re group previously scattered personnel activities into one personnel office or department; this usually entails the taking over of functions already being performed by 423 existing departments or offices. As discussed in the pre vious section, provisions for personnel organizations are usually the outgrowth of such factors as increased enroll ment, added personnel problems and responsibilities, ad ministrative overload, and a desire for systematized and centralized handling of numerous personnel functions. Few districts of from five to twenty-two thousand enrollment had completely centralized personnel departments (see preceding discussions); the result being that a large variety of personnel organizational patterns was found among the districts surveyed. It was further noted that as districts grew larger, there was a tendency to assign the personnel functions to two offices or to regroup the total personnel program in a single department or office. The respondents were asked the following question: "Which of the following best describes your personnel or ganization at the district level?" A check list of twelve possible personnel organizations was furnished. Additional space was provided so that respondents could add their own unstructured responses in case the check list did not ade quately describe their personnel organization. Respond ents were also a3ked to recommend what they thought was the best type of personnel organization for their school districts. Table LXXII reveals the responses to these two TABLE LXXII PATTERNS OF PERSONNEL ORGANIZATION AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL _ Existing factors Recommended factors Type of ____________ _______________ ________________________ personnel District enrollment size District enrollment size organization Large Medium Small Total Large Medium Small Total Personnel handled by the superintendent - 1 - 1 - - - - Part-time personnel administrator devotes: One fourth of his time - - - - - - - - Half-time - - - - - 1 - 1 Three fourths of his time - 1 2 3 - - 1 1 Almost full-time - 1 2 3 - 1 - 1 Full-time personnel administrator - 1 - 1 - 2 1 3 Personnel handled jointly by: Superintendent and personnel administrator - 1 1 2 - 1 1 2 Superintendent and business manager - - 1 1 - • 1 1 Business manager and personnel administrator - - 1 1 - * 1 1 Superintendent and assistant superintendent 1 2 - 3 1 1 - 2 Other combinations of positions 2 3 3 8 1 1 4 6 Major personnel department 2 1 - 3 3 4 1 8 Total 5 11 10 26 5 11 10 26 1 7 3 1 7 425 questions. Existing organizational patterns. The most frequent type of personnel organization found in the large districts was the decentralized plan. Personnel was administered jointly, usually by the superintendent, an assistant super intendent, personnel director, and business manager, or by a combination of two or more of these positions. One dis trict indicated the need to reorganize their personnel structure into a centralized plan. An additional two large districts utilized a centralized personnel depart ment in administering their personnel program. The heads of both departments held the title of personnel director and in both districts reported directly to an assistant superintendent. It would appear that when districts reach an enrollment of between 15,000 and 22,000, they are rap idly approaching the stage where some degree of centrali zation is desirable unless the personnel philosophy of the district strongly favors decentralization. The organizational structures of medium-sized dis tricts exhibited a wide range of patterns, ranging from the handling of personnel almost exclusively by the super intendent to a completely separate personnel department. 426 Although 75 per cent of the medium districts had a full time personnel administrator, personnel functions were usually administered jointly with the superintendent or his assistant. Listed below are the various combinations used to administer the personnel program: 1. Superintendent and personnel administrator 2. Superintendent and one assistant superintendent 5. Superintendent assisted by an assistant super intendent and supervisor of curriculum 4. Superintendent, business manager, and person nel administrator 5. Associate superintendent and assistant director of personnel 6. Deputy superintendent, assistant superintend ent, and administrative assistant. Almost all medium-sized districts performed person nel functions through some type of decentralized organiza tional plan in which the superintendent was usually able to allot some of his time directly to personnel adminis tration. The superintendent's allotment of time to person nel was undoubtedly very small in most cases; in a few districts, he delegated completely the personnel 427 responsibilities to an assistant* deputy, or associate superintendent. As would be expected, small districts had more part-time personnel administrators than did the other two size classifications. Pour small districts had a part- time personnel administrator who devoted from three fourths to almost all their time to personnel responsibil ities. No small district had formed a personnel depart ment; like the medium-sized districts, the personnel func tions were usually performed jointly by two or more admin istrators. There was a greater variety of combined posi tions handling the personnel program in small than in medium-sized districts. Listed below are the combinations found in small districts: 1. Superintendent and personnel administrator 2. Superintendent and business manager 5. Business manager and personnel administrator 4. Administrative assistant serving as personnel administrator 5. Deputy superintendent with one classified employee devoting 95 per cent of time to personnel administration 428 6. Superintendent, assistant superintendent on the elementary level, and high school principals 7. Superintendent, an assistant superintendent, and a committee of principals 8. Superintendent, an assistant superintendent, and personnel director. The superintendents of small districts were more directly involved in the personnel program than they were in medium-sized districts; they also devoted a greater proportion of time to this area. The position of superin tendent was mentioned most frequently as the administrator handling personnel responsibilities in small districts. The other positions mentioned, in order of frequency, were an assistant superintendent, the personnel director, the business manager, and principals. Summarizing all responses to this question, all twenty-six districts displayed a wide variety of personnel organizational patterns; nevertheless, one basic pattern prevailed and overlapping stages of development seemed to emerge. The following patterns were observed: 429 1. A majority of the districts surveyed employed some form of a decentralized personnel organization. 2. The personnel functions are usually handled jointly by two or more district level administrators. 5. Three of the five stages of functional person nel development seem to emerge in districts between 5*000 and 22,000 enrollment. (These phases are discussed more fully in a subsequent section under the heading "Develop mental Stages of Personnel Organization and Administra tion .") 4. As the small districts increased in size, there was a tendency for the personnel responsibilities to be performed by one or more staff specialists. 5. Only a few large districts in the survey uti lized a personnel department or completely centralized plan. Recommended organizational patterns. Responses to this section indicated a desire on the part of some to deviate somewhat from their present organizational pat terns. The total picture represents a trend toward the employment of a full-time personnel administrator, less joint personnel responsibilities, and evolvement of more 450 centralized personnel departments or offices. As was discussed previously, a majority of large districts assigned the personnel responsibilities to two or more district administrators but the majority recom mended the formation of a personnel department. This is indicative of a trend toward formation of centralized per sonnel programs; nevertheless, two districts were satis fied to handle the personnel responsibilities jointly be tween an assistant superintendent and the business man ager. A similar trend was observed in medium-sized dis tricts, although the majority favored joint responsibili ties for the personnel program. At present only one medium-sized district reported having formed a personnel department, but four districts suggested it as the best type of personnel organization for their districts. Two districts, one medium and one small, indicated the opinion that they could operate their personnel programs with less than a full-time administrative position. All but one of the small districts recommended a personnel pattern other than formation of a personnel de partment. Utilization of a full-time personnel 431 administrator or the assignment of joint personnel respon sibilities were recommended by 80 per cent of the small districts, providing further evidence of a trend toward increased time for personnel administration. One small district believed that it could operate with less than a full-time personnel administrator. In summary, responses from all districts demon strated a strong trend toward development of a personnel office or department. It was recommended by respondents from 31 per cent of the districts that a personnel depart ment would be the best type of personnel organization for their districts; even one small district expressed a desire for this type of organization. The second most favored type of organization was the establishment of joint respon sibility for the personnel program. Large and medium sized school districts showed less interest than small districts in setting up combined responsibility for per sonnel functions. Currently, 54 per cent of the districts are administering the personnel program by joint adminis trative responsibilities; 46 per cent of these districts wished to continue this type of organization. 432 All but three districts indicated the need for at least a full-time personnel administrator; currently, in seven districts a personnel administrator is operating on less than a full-time basis. VIII. DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OP PERSONNEL ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION Even though a wide variety of personnel organiza tional pattern exists, a consistent evolving pattern of organization seems to appear as school districts increase in enrollment* (see Figure l). As small and medium-sized districts increase in enrollment, the personnel responsi bilities may be more efficiently performed when separated from the line and assigned to one or more staff special ists. This separation of the personnel responsibilities from the line to the staff relationship is usually a gradual process and is generally accomplished in several stages of development as the size of a school district *The analysis presented in this section is based upon a re'sume' of survey findings, the review of related research and literature, and from interviews and observa tions. FIGURE 1. DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF THE ORGANIZATION A) IN SELECTED CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS, D e v e 1 o p m e n Factor ENFORCED CENTRALIZATION PARTIAL DECENTRALIZATION C0MI DECENTRi District enrollment Below 5,000 5,000 - 10,000 10,000 • Number of certificated employees Less than 230 231 - 375 400 - Number of classified employees Less than 100 100 - 175 175 ■ District-level personnel admini8trator(s) Number of certificated posi tions in personnel office Superintendent Less than one Superintendent and Business Manager One position Superintei Manager, i intendent Personnel One pos: Number of classified positions in the personnel office One part-time Secretary--personnel Secretary and/or clerk. 1-2 positions devoted to personnel Secretary 2-3 posit: to personi Single or joint administra tive responsibilities Single responsibility --Superintendent Joint responsibility --Superintendent and Business Manager Joint res| Superintei Manager, . Superintei Line and staff relationships Line: Superintendent to other district personnel, if any, and school principals Line: Superintendent to Business Manager and school principals Staff: Between Busi ness Manager and school principals Line: Suj Business ] Superinte Staff: B Manager, , tendent, Administrator responsible for certificated and classified employees Superintendent is responsible for both certificated and classified personnel Superintendent has certificated personnel. Business Manager has classified personnel Superinte ant Super tion) hav personnel ager has Relative expenditure of time allotted to personnel functions Superintendent continuously Superintendent fre quently; Business Manager frequently Superinte Assistant (Instruct Business 433 FIGURE 1 IE ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF PERSONNEL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AS DETERMINED BY ENROLMENT a v elopmental stage s COMPLETE DECENTRALIZATION PARTIAL RECENTRALIZATION COMPLETE CENTRALIZATION 10,000 - 15,000 15,000 - 22,000 Over 22,000 400 - 625 650 - 900 Over 900 175 - 325 300 - 400 Over 400 Superintendent, Business Manager, Assistant Super intendent (Instruction) Personnel Assistant Assistant Superintendent (Business, Assistant Sup erintendent (Personnel), Special Services Personnel department the responsibility of Assistant Superintendent in Charge of Personnel Services One position Two positions More than two positions clerk. oted Secretary and clerks. 2-3 positions devoted to personnel Secretaries and clerks. 3-4 positions devoted to personnel Secretaries and clerks. 4 or more positions devoted to personnel ity and Joint responsibility of Superintendent, Business Manager, and Assistant Superintendent (Instruction) Joint responsibility of Assistant Superintendent (Business) and (Personnel) Single responsibility of Assistant Superintendent (Personnel) and his staff dent er pals usi- Line: Superintendent to Business Manager, Assistant Superintendent (Instruction) Staff: Between Business Manager, Assistant Superin tendent, and principals Line: Superintendent to three Assistant Superin tendents Staff: Between the three Assistant Superintendents and school principals Line: Superintendent to all Assistant Superintendents Staff: Between all Assistant Superintendents and school principals s onnel. has mel Superintendent and Assist ant Superintendent (Instruc tion) have certificated personnel. Business Man ager has classified Assistant Superintendent (Personnel) has certifi cated. Assistant Super intendent (Business) has classified personnel Assistant Superintendent (Personnel) and his staff have both certificated and classified personnel e- s y Superintendent occasionally; Assistant Superintendent (Instruction) frequently; Business Manager frequently Superintendent seldom; Assistant Superintendent (Instruction) seldom; Assis tant Superintendents (Busi ness, Personnel) frequently Superintendent and other Assistant Superintendents seldom or never; Assistant Superintendent (Personnel) continuously 434 increases. The findings of this survey have indicated that the personnel administrative organization appears to develop in five overlapping stages: (l) enforced centralization, (2) partial decentralization, (3) complete decentraliza tion, (4) partial recentralization, and (5) complete cen tralization. When one of these five stages of development occurs within an individual school district depends upon a multiplicity of factors. In the survey, an attempt was made to determine: (1) the district-level positions responsible for personnel, (2) the number of certificated and classified employees in the personnel office or department, (3) the line and staff relationship of district-level positions involved in per sonnel, (4) the enrollment classification of participating school districts, (5) district-level positions responsible for certificated and classified employees, and (6) the relative expenditure of time devoted to personnel respon sibilities by district-level administrators. The findings from each of these six areas appear to play an important part in the developmental stages of the personnel organi zation. Figure 1 was prepared in an effort to portray 455 graphically these developmental stages, and some of the factors which are importantly related to their development. Enforced centralization. In the first stage of development the superintendent was usually the only dis trict-level administrator. Consequently, he was solely responsible for administering the total, if somewhat lim ited, personnel program. His secretary usually allotted less than one half of her time to the handling of such routine personnel functions as correspondence, checking credentials, payroll, and keeping records for both certif icated and classified employees. Usually enforced centralization would likely be found in the smallest school districts, i.e., those below 5,000 enrollment. Because of such factors as limited budg ets, too few school plants, low enrollment, and the assign ment of only one or possibly two district administrators, districts within this size classification were forced to place the personnel responsibility upon a single adminis trator in the district office. Therefore, the adminis trator was continuously involved with personnel duties. Undoubtedly, certain personnel responsibilities were delegated to school principals. The principal's 436 relationship with the single district administrator, the superintendent, would of necessity be a line relationship. For purposes of comparative analysis, this stage of development is arbitrarily defined as one in which a school district has a single district-level administrator, the superintendent, who is responsible for both certifi cated and classified employees. He is continuously in volved with personnel matters and has a line relationship with school principals. His secretary devotes less than one half of her time to personnel clerical duties. Most districts below 5,000 enrollment usually are forced to centralize district level personnel responsibilities. Partial decentralization. In the second stage of development, which is here referred to as partial decen tralization, the district usually employs a second dis trict-level administrator. Depending upon the need, the new administrator may be an assistant superintendent with primary responsibilities in either instructional or busi ness services. It is usually the latter, and he often bears the title of business manager. To the business manager is frequently delegated responsibilities for classified employees, the 457 superintendent usually retaining the personnel duties re lated to certificated employees. When this situation oc curs, the personnel duties are Jointly shared by two posi tions and a step toward decentralization has started. This second stage of organizational development usually occurs in districts with enrollments between 5,000 and 9*999 students. Both district administrators were frequently in volved with personnel responsibilities. Their total cler ical staff may equal approximately one to two full-time classified positions. The second district administrator would have a line relationship with the superintendent and an advisory rela tionship with school principals. For purposes of comparison, this second stage, par tial decentralization, is arbitrarily defined as one in which districts between 5*000 and 9*999 enrollment have two district-level administrators jointly responsible for the personnel program. Both are frequently concerned with personnel matters, one being responsible largely for cer tificated employees and the other being responsible for classified employees. Their secretaries and/or clerks 458 within the two offices may approach an equivalent of one to two full-time classified positions concerned with per sonnel duties. The business manager or assistant super intendent in charge of business services has line status with the superintendent and an advisory relationship with school principals. Complete decentralization. In the third stage of development, complete decentralization, a third district level administrative position may be established. This position was usually an assistant superintendent with pri mary responsibilities for instructional services. The superintendent frequently delegated a major portion of the certificated personnel responsibilities to him. The per sonnel duties delegated were most frequently concerned with systematizing and centralizing certificated personnel records and recruitment. Later certain other personnel functions were assigned to him. A few districts might also employ a personnel assistant to further relieve the superintendent of less important personnel responsibili ties. The business manager or assistant superintendent in charge of business services in a majority of the districts was frequently delegated the responsibility for classified 459 personnel functions. Therefore, three district-level ad ministrators were jointly responsible for portions of the personnel program. The small district, as defined in this study, has increased in enrollment and number of employees to such extent that the personnel load has increased correspond ingly in amount and complexity. Complete decentralization usually occurs when a district reaches between 10,000 and 14,999 enrollment. During this phase the superintendent was involved only occasionally in the more important aspects of the personnel program. The other two district level adminis trators were more frequently and more directly responsible for most aspects of personnel administration. It was found that in this third stage of development a majority of school districts had not established a separate person nel administrator per se. By this time the clerical staff of the three district administrators approached the equiv alent of at least two to three full-time classified posi tions for personnel purposes. There was a two-way line relationship between the superintendent and the two district administrators. They, 440 in turn, worked in an advisory capacity with one another and with the school principals. For purposes of comparison, this third stage of personnel development is arbitrarily defined as one in which a district has at least two and probably three dis trict-level administrators jointly responsible for person nel . Two of the three administrators are frequently in volved with personnel duties, aided by the equivalent of about two to three full-time classified employees. The business manager is usually responsible for classified em ployees and the other assistant superintendent shares with the superintendent the major responsibility for certifi cated personnel. The two assistant superintendents are usually busy with personnel matters and the superintendent is only occasionally involved. The assistant superintend ents function in a line capacity with the superintendent and in an advisory capacity with school principals. School districts between 10,000 and 14,999 enrollment will be exploring this third stage of personnel organizational development. Partial recentralization. During the fourth stage of development a trend evolved through which at least a 44l separate office or a small personnel department was estab lished to administer a major portion of the personnel pro gram. A third assistant superintendent position was usu ally established. In a number of districts the personnel director or personnel assistant was elevated to the position with a title of assistant superintendent in charge of personnel. In some districts he was assigned other areas of responsi bility such as special services or public relations. Many but not all of the personnel duties were re-assigned from other district-level positions previously discussed. During this stage, the superintendent devoted lit tle, if any, time directly to the personnel program, al though he continued to be deeply interested, and continued to play an important role in the formulation of district personnel policies. He continued to be the top line admin istrator working with the board of education concerning personnel matters as well as all other areas. By this time the complexity of the personnel load had increased in direct proportion to increases in enroll ment and staff. In a majority of districts the personnel responsibilities might still be shared jointly among the 442 three assistant superintendents. The assistant superin tendent in charge of personnel was normally responsible for certificated employees while classified employees were assigned to the assistant superintendent in charge of business services. Three or four classified employees might devote their full time to personnel clerical duties. A few districts at this fourth stage of partial recentral ization might centralize all personnel functions in one department utilizing the services of more than one full time certificated employee. In most districts the staff of the personnel de partment, if one exists, remained small. The head of the department, usually an assistant superintendent of person nel, reported directly to the superintendent. He normally had a staff relationship with the other assistant superin tendents and school principals. The fourth stage occurred most frequently in school districts between 15,000 and 22,000 enrollment. The per sonnel department or office might include consultants or such outside personnel specialists as (l) orientation and in-service training, (2) formulation of salary programs, (5) preparation of job titles and descriptions, or (4) 445 special survey related to personnel. For purposes of analysis, the fourth stage of de velopment is defined as one in which a district has a full-time personnel administrator at the assistant super intendency level. He handles a major portion of the per sonnel responsibilities in one small department with the assistance of possibly another certificated employee and three or four classified employees. He is continuously involved with personnel matters and may or may not be re sponsible for both certificated or classified employees. He has a line relationship with the superintendent and within his own department or office. An advisory rela tionship is maintained with the other assistant superin tendents and school principals. The district usually has an enrollment of 15*000 to 22,000 students. Complete centralization. The fifth stage usually occurs only in very large school districts, a size classi fication above those included in this survey. Information concerning the fifth stage was secured from the related literature and from personal knowledge secured through visitations of extremely large school districts. In this stage, it is logical and economical to bring together in a 444 large division all groups and departments concerned with personnel administration, including such functions as: 1. Procurement 2. Testing and interviews 5. Appraisal and selection 4. Induction orientation and in-service training 5. Evaluation and promotions 6. Discipline and terminations 7. Personnel records and employee handbooks 8. Formulation of personnel policies and salary schedules 9. Preparation of Job descriptions and administration of leaves 10. Responsibility for employee morale 11. Group insurance, recreation, and health services. Numerous other functions connected with problems of per sonnel administration for both certificated and classified employees are the responsibility of a single department and administrator. In this stage of development an assistant, deputy, 445 or associate superintendent in charge of personnel headed the personnel department; he rarely was assigned other re sponsibilities such as instruction, special services, or public relations. There was a complete centralization of all personnel responsibilities. Usually there were two or more full-time certificated employees and four or more full-time classified personnel, depending upon the size of the district, the quality of the personnel, the funds available, and enrollment. The head of the personnel department would operate in a line relationship with the superintendent and with staff members within his department. He usually retained an advisory relationship with the other assistant superin tendents and individual school principals. The fifth and final stage of organizational growth and development begins to appear in school districts of about 22,000 enrollment and above, even though some dis tricts having similar enrollments may continue for a short period in the fourth stage of partial recentralization. According to Wheeler, most districts of 30,000 or more en rollment have organized a single personnel department or have the complete centralized plan (40:211). Beyond this 446 final stage are the various phases of re-evaluation and re-assignment of numerous personnel functions to bring about greater efficiency and a higher organizational plan within the personnel department. For purposes of analysis, the fifth and final stage of personnel organization and development is defined as one in which a district has a centralized personnel de partment. The department has complete responsibility for the total personnel program for both certificated and classified employees. The head of the department has the title of deputy, associate, or assistant superintendent in charge of personnel services. He has a line relationship with the district superintendent and an advisory relation ship with other assistant superintendents and school principals. The department staff includes more than two certificated employees and four or more classified em ployees. The head of the department is continuously in volved in personnel matters. The district beginning to formalize the complete centralized plan has an enrollment between 22,000 to 30,000 students. The philosophy of the board of education and dis trict administrators toward the personnel program probably 447 plays an important role in determining a district's prog ress through the various developmental stages of personnel organization. Districts of all three size classifications, as shown in Table LXXI, page 4l8, had indicated a number of other factors which were important considerations in the evolvement of the personnel department. IX. SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER The purpose of this chapter was an analysis of the responses concerning the personnel office or department. Efforts were directed toward determining current internal organizational patterns and the factors considered in the development of the personnel program. Recommendations were secured from respondents concerning the best type of personnel organization and district-level administrative relationships In large, medium, and small school districts. In brief summary, the findings pertaining to the personnel office or department may be stated as follows: 448 Existing Practices 1. Regardless of size classification, most admin istrators responsible for personnel (88 per cent) reported directly to the superintendent. 2. Other than the administrator in charge of per sonnel, over three fourths of all districts assigned no additional certificated employees to the personnel office. 5. A secretary and/or clerk was assigned at least partial personnel clerical duties in all the districts. 4. As districts increased in enrollment, the num ber of certificated and classified employees assigned to the personnel office or department increased gradually. 5. The personnel administrator had a combined line and staff relationship in 50 per cent of all districts; approximately 50 per cent had line authority, and 20 per cent had a staff relationship. These proportions applied to all districts regardless of size. 6. Nineteen different functions were performed in a line capacity by personnel administrators. Functions mentioned most frequently were assignment, personnel poli cies, transfer, personnel budget, and selection. Person nel administrators in medium-sized districts performed a 449 larger number of functions in a line capacity than did those in large and small districts. 7. Twenty-three different functions were performed in an advisory capacity by personnel administrators. The functions most frequently mentioned were assignment, in- service training, evaluation, and instruction. Since none of these advisory functions were performed by a majority of respondents, no conclusions could be drawn concerning functions performed in a staff relationship. 8. In over two-thirds of the districts of all sizes an advisory relationship existed between the person nel administrator and the assistant superintendent in charge of business services (or business manager). The larger the district, the greater the probability that a staff relationship existed between these two positions. 9. In large and small districts a slight majority of personnel administrators had a staff relationship with the assistant superintendent in charge of the instruc tional services. A larger number of medium-sized than of small or large districts had established a line rela tionship between these two positions. 450 10. In one fifth of the districts, the same admin istrator was responsible for instructional and for per sonnel programs. 11. A combined line and staff relationship usually existed when the administrator in charge of instructional services was an assistant superintendent and the adminis trator in charge of the personnel program was a personnel director. 12. An advisory relationship was established most frequently between personnel administrators and principals in over one half of the small districts. 15. A definite relationship was found to exist between the size of the district and the probability of its having established written personnel responsibilities. The larger the district, the more likely it was to have written statements of personnel duties. 14. Districts which had written statements of per sonnel administrative functions were most likely to place the statement in an administrative guide. Other places used were the board rules and regulations, and in a state ment of district policies. 451 15- The factors considered in the development of a personnel office or department depended upon the size of the district. The factor most frequently mentioned in large districts was that of growth due to enrollment in creases. Medium-sized districts most frequently mentioned (1) increased personnel problems and responsibilities, (2) administrative overload, and (5) growth due to enroll ment increases. Factors most frequently considered by small districts were (l) administrative overload, (2) co ordination of personnel records, (5) centralizing person nel responsibilities, and (4) systematized personnel poli cies. 16. Many different personnel organizational struc tures are being utilized in districts surveyed. A sequence of organizational patterns seems to develop as districts increase in enrollment. 17. As school districts increased in enrollment, there was a tendency for personnel responsibilities to be separated from a line relationship and to be performed by staff specialists. 18. A majority of districts, regardless of size classification, utilized varied forms of a decentralized 452 personnel organization. 19. Only a few larger districts incorporated a separate personnel department or were completely central ized. 20. Smaller districts had fewer full-time person nel administrators than did large or medium-sized dis tricts. 21. The development of personnel administrative organizations appears to have occurred in five overlapping stages as districts increased in enrollment, as follows: a. Enforced centralization b. Partial decentralization c. Complete decentralization d. Partial recentralization e. Complete centralization Recommendations of Respondents The recommendations made by respondents pertaining to the personnel office or department are summarized as follows: 1. All districts, regardless of size,'indicated that the personnel administrator should be directly re sponsible to the superintendent. 455 2. Less than one-fifth of all the respondents recommended that additional certificated employees were needed in the personnel office. The need was felt largely in large and medium-sized districts. 5. A slight increase in the number of certificated and classified employees assigned to the personnel office or department was recommended by respondents from all three size categories. 4. It was recommended that fifteen different func tions be performed by the personnel administrator in a line capacity. The functions most frequently listed were assignment, personnel policies, transfer, personnel budget, and selection. 5. It was recommended that twenty-three different functions be performed in an advisory capacity. Staff functions most frequently mentioned were assignment, in- service training, transfer, and personnel policies. Majority support was not received from any of the three size classifications. 6. Approximately three fourths of the respondents recommended that an advisory relationship exist between the personnel administrator and the administrator in 454 charge of business services. All large districts recom mended this relationship. 7. Two thirds of the respondents recommended that an advisory relationship exist between the assistant superintendent in charge of instructional services and the personnel administrator, especially where both positions were on the assistant superintendency level. 8. A majority of respondents believed that an ad visory relationship should be established between the per sonnel administrator and the principals. A higher per centage of medium-sized and small districts made this rec ommendation . 9. About two thirds of the districts having other district-level personnel (directors and consultants) rec ommended that a staff relationship exist between the per sonnel administrator and these positions. 10. All respondents recommended that the responsi bilities of the personnel administrator be stated in writ ing. 11. It was recommended by approximately two thirds of the respondents that the written statements of person nel functions be placed in either the administrative guide 455 or board rules and regulations. 12. Formation of some form of a centralized per sonnel office or department was recommended by respondents from three fourths of all districts. Slightly higher per centages of large and medium-sized than of the smaller districts were represented. 15. A majority of respondents from larger dis tricts recommended the formation of a personnel depart ment, the remainder preferring to remain decentralized. 14. A majority of respondents from medium-sized districts recommended the continuance of some form of a decentralized personnel organization, the others favoring the formation of a centralized personnel department. 15. A large majority of smaller districts recom mended some form of decentralized personnel organization. CHAPTER IX SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS I. SUMMARY The Problem This study sought to determine the personnel func tions that should be performed in school districts, the administrative position that should be assigned responsi bility for each function, and the patterns of organiza tion that are most conducive to successful performance of personnel functions. Specifically, the purposes of the study were (l) to discover the personnel functions now being performed for certificated and classified employees, and those which educators believe should be performed; (2) to deter mine the district-level administrator assigned to perform the various personnel functions, and the position to which these responsibilities should be assigned; (3) to 456 457 determine the relationships of the personnel administrator to other district-level positions, and to discover the personnel organizational patterns; (4) to analyze and evaluate the findings in relation to district enrollments; and (5) to make recommendations concerning practices which should prevail, based upon the professional judg ments of personnel administrators in the field. In order to achieve the purposes of the study, answers were sought to the following questions: 1. Which district-level administrator is respon sible for personnel and what is his title? 2. To whom is the personnel administrator respon sible, and who is responsible to him? 5. At what enrollment levels do school districts need a part-time, half-time, or full-time personnel ad ministrator? What factors determine this need? 4. How much time is allotted by the personnel administrator and business manager to certificated and classified employees? 5. What responsibilities other than personnel are assigned to personnel administrators? Which responsibil ities combine best with the personnel position? 458 6. Does the administrator responsible for person nel have line authority, a staff relationship, or a com bination of the two? 7. What is the line and staff relationship between the personnel administrator and other district-level posi tions? 8. Are the responsibilities of the personnel admin istrator specified in writing? If so, where do they ap pear? 9. How many certificated and classified employees are employed in the personnel department or office, if such an office exists? Should districts have a separate personnel department? 10. What factors are considered in the development of a separated personnel department? 11. Which personnel functions are performed for district employees? Who is responsible for performing the functions? 12. What is the relative expenditure of time allot ted to the various personnel functions? 15. What are the different patterns of personnel organization as related to district enrollments? 459 Procedures Method and approach. The research method employed in this study was that of the normative survey technique. Almost all of the data were secured by means of a single questionnaire. In order to provide background information and to supplement the main source of data, the following three steps were taken: (l) a review of literature on personnel administration covering the fields of education, industry, and public administration; (2) preliminary Inter views with superintendents and personnel administrators in ten school districts of Southern California; and (5) a trial questionnaire used in a pilot study conducted in fourteen California school districts for purposes of re fining the instrument. Sponsorship was sought and received from the Southern California Association of School Person nel Administrators, Southern Section. Identification of districts. The study was delim ited to unified districts and to those having a common ad ministration for both the elementary and secondary schools in the State of California. Since there is a trend for districts to become unified, this restriction was deemed Twenty-six school districts responded, giving a 79 per cent return of usable replies. Responses included seventeen unified districts and nine districts with a com mon administration for both elementary and secondary schools. Represented among these returns as classified by enrollment size were five large, eleven medium, and ten small districts. In terras of geographic distribution, 75 per cent of replies were received from districts in the southern section of the state of California, and 27 per cent from the central section. Districts from northern California were not represented among those finally tabu lated. Most of the respondents were superintendents and assistant superintendents. The respondents were also used as a jury of specialists to assist in establishing criteria for their particular size classifications. Treatment of data. The findings of the study were analyzed quantitatively and reported for the most part in terms of frequency of response. A number of questions were open-ended, requiring further analyses of the results (such as computation of ratio, percentages, and rank order). Percentages were used sparingly because the sur vey dealt with a small number of districts. 460 proper. Extremely large and extremely small districts were eliminated as being atypical. Only grades kinder garten through twelve were included. It was thought that personnel administrative practices and organizational pat terns would be found to be more uniform as a result of these restrictions. No attempt was made to determine the desired per sonal and professional qualifications of personnel admin istrators, nor to evaluate their degree of success. Thirty-three districts qualified for inclusion in the study and all were requested to participate. Dis tricts were grouped by enrollment size so as to facilitate analysis and comparison in an effort to determine whether changes in size were accompanied by changes in personnel responsibilities and organization. The three size classi fications were (l) large districts with 15*000 to 22,000 enrollment, (2) medium-sized districts with 10,000 to 14,999 enrollment, and (5) small districts with 5*000 to 9*999 enrollment. Questionnaires were mailed directly to district superintendents in northern, central and southern sections of the state. 462 Most of the data were considered in terras of the following factors: (1) the size of districts as deter mined by enrollment; (2) existing personnel practices of the districts and respondents' recommendations concerning them; (3) enumeration of various personnel functions per formed; (4) placement of responsibility for performing personnel functions; (5) relative expenditure of time required to perform the personnel functions; and (6) the extent to which responses pertained to certificated and/or classified employees. Interpretations of the findings took into consider ation the opinions of respondent personnel administrators who served in lieu of a panel of specialists to establish criteria for this study; as well as the views of authori ties and research students found in general and specific professional textbooks, research studies, surveys, year books, periodical articles, and commission reports. Pub lished sources were gathered from the fields of education, industry, and public personnel administration. 465 II. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS Personnel Ratios Pertaining to Certificated Employees, Classified Employees, and District Enrollments 1. Ratios of certificated employees to enrollments were relatively uniform for all three district size clas sifications, the average ratio being approximately one certificated employee to twenty-four students. 2. Ratios of classified employees to enrollments were less uniform among district size classifications, larger districts having the highest ratio (one classified employee to sixty students), and medium-sized districts the lowest (one classified employee to forty-four students). 3. Ratios of certificated to classified employees were approximately two certificated employees for every classified employee. As a group, the larger districts had a slightly higher ratio than did the medium or smaller districts. The Position of Personnel Administrator 1. The administrator most frequently assigned the major responsibility for personnel was (a) the personnel 464 director in larger districts, (b) an assistant superin tendent in medium-sized districts, and (c) the superin tendent in smaller districts. 2. Existing and recommended practices were closely similar except in smaller districts which preferred that major personnel responsibilities be assigned to an assist ant superintendency level position. 5. The titles most frequently utilized by district classification, from large to small, were (a) personnel director, (b) assistant superintendent, and (c) superin tendent . 4. Respondents usually recommended that titles used be the same as those in actual use, except in smaller districts which preferred the title of assistant superin tendent . 5. In two thirds of the districts, the title borne by the personnel administrator did not properly describe his personnel responsibilities. 6. A position at the assistant superintendency level was most frequently responsible for certificated employees in all districts. More than half of the respondents rec ommended that he be responsible for certificated employees. 465 7. An assistant superintendent, usually the one in charge of business services, was most frequently responsi ble for classified employees. Second in rank order was the position of personnel director. 8. Slightly fewer than half of the districts were decentralized in the sense that one administrator was re sponsible largely for certificated personnel, and another for classified personnel. 9. In slightly more than half of the districts a single administrator carried major responsibility for both certificated and classified personnel. 10. There were marked differences of opinion among respondents regarding the appropriate enrollment levels at which a part-time, half-time, and full-time personnel position should be established. 11. Existing and recommended factors to be consid ered in establishing a personnel position for all dis tricts, in rank order, were (a) enrollment growth, (b) added administrative responsibilities, (c) physical size of the district, (d) amount of turnover, (e) maintenance of accurate personnel records, (f) increased personnel problems, and (g) methods of recruitment. The degree of 466 importance attached to these factors varied somewhat ac cording to district size. 12. Personnel administrators in all districts allotted an average of approximately three fourths of their personnel time to certificated employees and one fourth to classified employees. In larger districts they devoted a greater percentage of time to certificated em ployees, while in smaller districts they expended a greater proportion of time to classified employees. 13. In each district size classification the per centages of time recommended for certificated and classi fied employees were similar to those actually being given. 14. Business managers allotted almost all of their personnel time to classified employees. Respondents rec ommended a similar relative expenditure of their time. 15. Areas of responsibility other than personnel assigned to administrators in all districts, in order of frequency of mention, were (a) administrative routine, (b) special services, (c) public relations, and (d) in struction. 16. In combining personnel with other administra tive duties, respondents recommended the following as the 467 most logical areas of responsibility to be added to that of personnel: (a) instruction, (b) special services, (c) public relations, and (d) administrative routine. The recommended combination of responsibilities varied accord ing to the district size classification. Recommendations Concerning Placement of Responsibility for Certificated Personnel Functions Existing and recommended practices in assigning responsibility to district-level administrators for vari ous groups of personnel functions were quite similar; for this reason, only the findings concerning recommended practices are summarized here. They are presented in rank order, by district size. Large districts. The following recommendations concerning the placement of major and minor responsibility for certificated personnel functions in larger districts were made: 1. The superintendent should have major responsi bility for the salary program, and minor or no responsi bility for other personnel functions. 468 2. An administrator at the assistant superin tendency level should have major responsibility for (a) assignment and transfer, (b) orientation and in-service training, (c) employee handbooks, and (d) personnel poli cies; and should have minor responsibility for all other personnel functions. 3. The personnel director should have major re sponsibility for all functions except (a) orientation and in-service training, (b) personnel policies, (c) salary program, and (d) insurance, recreation, health, safety, and housing. These functions should be considered as minor responsibilities. 4. Conversely, the assistant superintendent in charge of business services should not be assigned any major responsibilities for certificated personnel and should have only minor responsibility for personnel records and the retirement program. 5. Other district-level administrators and super visors should have major responsibilities only for (a) employee morale, and (b) insurance, recreation, health, safety, and housing facilities. They should have minor or no responsibility for all other personnel functions. 469 Medium-sized districts. The following recommenda tions concerning the placement of major and minor respon sibility for certificated personnel functions in medium sized districts were made: 1. The superintendent should share the major responsibility with the personnel director for the formu lation of personnel policies and should have minor respon sibility or none for other personnel functions. 2. A position at the assistant superintendency level should have major responsibility for the salary pro gram. He should share with the personnel director the major responsibility for assignment and transfer, prepara tion of job descriptions and employee handbooks. He should carry only minor responsibility for other personnel functions. 3. The personnel director should have major re sponsibility for (a) recruitment, appraisal, and selection, (b) personnel records, (c) administering leaves, (d) em ployee morale, and (e) the retirement program. He should share major responsibility for four functions (personnel policies, assignment and transfer, job descriptions, and employee handbooks) with the superintendent and assistant 470 superintendent, as indicated above. All other personnel functions should be minor responsibilities. 4. Conversely, no major or minor responsibility for certificated personnel should be assigned to the busi ness manager. 5. Additional district-level administrators and supervisors, other than those mentioned above, should be assigned major responsibility for (a) orientation and in- service training; (b) evaluation, promotion, termination, and discipline; and (c) insurance, recreation, health, safety, and housing. Little or no responsibility should be assigned to them for other personnel functions. Small districts. The following recommendations concerning the placement of major and minor responsibility for certificated personnel functions in small districts were made: 1. The superintendent should have major responsi bility for (a) personnel policies, (b) the salary program, and (c) employee morale. Administering leaves and orien tation and in-service training are major responsibilities which should be shared with the personnel director or an assistant superintendent. The superintendent should 471 assume minor responsibility for other personnel functions. 2. An assistant superintendency position should be assigned major responsibility for orientation and in- service training and for employee morale, while the major functions of (a) assignment and transfer, (b) evaluation, promotion, termination, and discipline, and (c) prepara tion of job descriptions should be shared with the super intendent or personnel director. All other personnel functions should be minor responsibilities. 3. Major responsibility should be assigned to the personnel director for (a) recruitment, appraisal, and selection, (b) personnel records, (c) the retirement pro gram, and (d) insurance, recreation, health, safety, and housing. He should also share with the superintendent or assistant superintendent, other than business manager, the major responsibility for (a) assignment and transfer, (b) preparation of job descriptions, and (c) administering leaves. All other personnel functions should be assigned as minor responsibilities. 4. The business manager should be assigned minor responsibility for less than one third of the functions, and no responsibility for the remaining two thirds. 472 5. All other district-level personnel should be assigned only minor responsibility for about two thirds of the personnel functions. General. Some over-all findings related to the placement of responsibility for performing various certif icated personnel functions: 1. In the smaller school districts, the superin tendent carried a greater burden of responsibility for certificated personnel functions. 2. Conversely, in larger school districts, the superintendent carried a smaller responsibility for cer tificated personnel functions. 5. In practice and in theory, the personnel direc tor and an assistant superlntendency position usually carry the bulk of major responsibility for certificated personnel functions, regardless of district size. 4. In practice and in theory, other district-level administrators, supervisors, and business managers carry progressively less responsibility for certificated person nel functions as districts increase in size. 473 Recommendations Concerning Placement of Responsibility for Classified Personnel Functions Large districts. With respect to non-certificated personnel, recommendations varied somewhat according to district size. The following recommendations concerning the placement of responsibility for classified personnel functions in larger districts were made: 1. The superintendent should not assume any major responsibility and should be assigned only minor respon sibility for personnel policies and the leave program. 2. A position at the assistant superintendency level should not be assigned any major personnel responsi bility, but should have minor responsibility for (a) per sonnel policies, and (b) such welfare functions as insur ance, recreation, health, safety, and housing. 3. All functions except the minor functions of (a) orientation and in-service training, (b) the salary program, and (c) employee morale should be major respon sibilities of the personnel director. 4. The assistant superintendent in charge of business services (or business manager) should be assigned 474 minor responsibility for all functions except the follow ing for which he should have major responsibility: (a) the salary program, and (b) personnel policies. 5. Other district-level personnel should have major responsibility for orientation and in-service train ing and employee morale. About half of the remaining personnel functions were suggested as minor responsibili ties. Medium-sized districts. The following recommenda tions concerning the placement of responsibility for clas sified personnel functions in medium-sized districts were made: 1. The superintendent should carry no major per sonnel responsibilities, and should have only minor re sponsibility for (a) personnel policies, (b) the salary program, (c) leaves, (d) employee morale, and (e) evalu ation, promotion, termination, and discipline. 2. A position at the assistant superintendency level should have some minor responsibility for all per sonnel functions except assignment and transfer, which should be considered a major area of his responsibility. 475 3. The personnel director should have major re sponsibility for all classified personnel functions except assignment and transfer, for which he should have only minor responsibility. 4. The business manager should be assigned minor responsibility for all classified personnel functions. 5. All other district personnel should have a small degree of minor responsibility for almost all per sonnel functions. 6. Responsibility for the classified salary pro gram should be shared equally by an assistant superin tendency position, personnel director, and the business manager. Small districts. The following recommendations concerning the placement of responsibility for classified personnel functions in smaller districts were made: 1. Approximately three fourths of all personnel functions should be retained by the superintendent as minor responsibilities. 2. A position at the assistant superintendency level should be assigned some minor responsibility for all classified personnel functions. 476 5. Major responsibility for (a) recruitment, ap praisal, and selection, (b) personnel records, (c) job descriptions, and (d) the retirement program should be assigned to the personnel director. For other classified personnel functions he should carry minor responsibility. 4. All personnel functions performed by the busi ness manager should be performed as major responsibilities. For those classified personnel functions assigned as major responsibilities to the personnel director, the business manager should assume minor responsibility. 5. Other district personnel should share with the business manager major responsibility for employee morale, and should have minor responsibility or none for the other personnel functions. General. Some over-all findings related to the placement of responsibility for performing various classi fied personnel functions: 1. In smaller school districts, a greater burden of responsibility for classified personnel functions was borne by superintendents, and in lesser degree by an assistant superintendency position other than business manager. 477 2. The personnel director in all but the very small districts should be assigned major responsibility for the majority of classified personnel functions. 3. The business manager in smaller districts should be assigned slightly more major responsibility than the personnel director for classified personnel functions. These two positions are frequently responsible jointly for the same classified personnel functions. Over-all Responsibility for Certificated and Classified Functions Additional findings related to the placement of responsibility for both certificated and classified per sonnel functions: 1. The superintendent is and should be responsible for a larger number of certificated personnel functions than of classified personnel functions, especially in smaller districts. 2. A position at the assistant superintendency level is and should be responsible for a larger number of certificated personnel functions than of classified func tions, especially in larger districts. 3. The personnel director is and should be 478 responsible equally for certificated and classified per sonnel functions, except in larger districts where person nel directors carry greater responsibility for classified personnel functions. 4. The business manager is and should be assigned extensively more responsibility for classified than for certificated personnel functions. 5. Other district-level administrative personnel are and should be responsible for a relatively small num ber of certificated and classified personnel functions. 6. There is a tendency for certificated personnel functions to become more complex as districts increase in enrollment. 7. Almost all of twenty-four listed personnel functions are being performed in almost all districts, regardless of size. 8. As district enrollments increase, there is an apparent corresponding decrease in the ability of super intendents to maintain close personal relationships with certificated and classified employees. I 479 Relative Expenditures of Time for Certificated Personnel Functions Rank order summaries of recommendations from large, medium, and small districts concerning relative amounts of time allotted to certificated personnel functions are given here. 1. All respondents from larger districts recom mended that the functions of (a) recruitment, appraisal, and selection, (b) transfer and assignment, (c) orienta tion and in-service training, (d) evaluation, promotion, termination, and discipline, (e) personnel records, and (f) employee morale be given first priority. 2. More than two thirds of the large-district respondents recommended that the functions of (a) employee handbooks, (b) personnel policies, (c) leave program, and (d) retirement program also be given high priority and performed as constantly continuing functions. 5. A solid majority of large-district respondents recommended that the functions of (a) salary program, (b) job position and descriptions, and (c) insurance, recrea tion, health, safety, and housing be performed with sec ondary priority and frequency. 480 4. Respondents from larger districts did not rec ommend that a single personnel function be performed sporadically or never. 5. More than three fourths of the respondents from medium-3ized districts recommended that the functions of (a) recruitment, appraisal, and selection, (b) transfer and assignment, (c) orientation and in-service training, (d) evaluation, promotion, termination, and discipline, (e) personnel records, (f) job and position descriptions, and (g) employee morale be performed continuously and given first priority. 6. At least a majority of respondents from medium sized districts recommended that the functions of (a) personnel policies, (b) salary program, (c) retirement program, and (d) insurance, recreation, health, safety, and housing also be performed at all times and given high priority. 7. Usually, fewer than a fifth of the respondents from medium and smaller districts recommended that about half of the personnel functions be performed rarely or never. 481 ; I ! 8. More than three fourths of the small-district j j respondents recommended that the functions of (a) recruit- ! ment, appraisal, and selection, (b) transfer and assign ment, (c) orientation and in-service training, (d) evalu- ! ation, promotion, termination, and discipline, (e) person- I nel records, and (f) employee morale be performed first in order of priority. 9. At least a majority of respondents from smaller districts recommended that the functions of (a) employee | handbooks, (b) personnel policies, (c) salary program, i i ] j and (d) insurance, recreation, health, safety, and housing j also be given constant attention. They recommended that i the functions of job and position description and the re tirement program be performed with less regularity and be given secondary priority. 10. The only personnel function recommended for an increase in relative expenditure of time was that of pre paring job and position descriptions. 11. Large-district administrators usually allotted and recommended more time for more personnel functions than did those from medium or smaller districts. 482 ! i 12. A greater expenditure of time was usually j | allotted and recommended for certificated than for clas- | sified personnel functions. j | Relative Expenditures of Time for Classified Personnel Functions Rank order summaries of recommendations from large, medium, and small districts concerning relative amounts of time allotted to classified personnel functions are given : i here: j ; i 1. All respondents of larger districts recommended | i , ; that the functions of (a) recruitment, appraisal, and ; j i selection, (b) orientation and in-service training, and j (c) evaluation, promotion, termination, and discipline be ■ given highest priority. 2. More than two thirds of large-district respond- i ents recommended that the functions of (a) transfer and assignment, (b) personnel policies, (c) salary program, (d) job and position descriptions, (e) employee morale, and (f) the retirement program also be given first prior ity. 5. A majority of large-district respondents rec- ; ommended that the functions of (a) employee handbooks and 484 8. At least three fourths of the respondents from smaller districts recommended that the functions of (a) recruitment, appraisal, and selection, (b) transfer and assignment, and (c) personnel records be given high pri ority. 9. A good majority of respondents from smaller districts recommended that the functions of (a) orienta tion and in-service training, (b) evaluation, promotion, termination, and discipline, (c) employee morale, and (d) personnel policies also be given high priority and be performed on a continuous basis. 10. A majority of respondents from smaller dis tricts recommended that the functions of (a) job and posi tion description, (b) the leave program, and (c) the re tirement program be accorded secondary priority. 11. Both medium and smaller-district respondents recommended that approximately three fourths of the listed classified personnel functions be performed only rarely or never. 12. Administrators from larger districts allotted and recommended a greater expenditure of time for classi fied personnel functions than did those from medium or (b) the leave program be performed almost constantly. i / \ ! They also recommended that the functions of (a) personnel policies and (b) insurance, recreation, health, safety, i and housing be accorded secondary priority. i No large-district respondent recommended that i any classified personnel function be performed sporadically ; or never. 5. Three fourths or more of the respondents from : j ; medium-sized districts recommended that the functions of i | ; (a) recruitment, appraisal, and selection, (b) transfer ! ! ! | and assignment, (c) orientation and in-service training, j i and (d) personnel records be performed continually and I i ; I given first priority. 6. A sizable majority of respondents from medium sized districts recommended that the functions of (a) evaluation, promotion, termination, and discipline, (b) salary program, (c) job and position descriptions, (d) employee morale, and (e) the retirement program also be performed almost continuously. 7. A relatively small minority of respondents from medium-sized districts recommended that ten classi fied personnel functions be performed rarely or never. 485 Organization of the Personnel Office or Department 1. More than three fourths of all personnel admin istrators were responsible directly to the superintendent, and all respondents favored this relationship. 2. In more than three fourths of the districts no certificated employees other than the chief personnel ad ministrator were assigned to the personnel office. 5. As district enrollments increased, the number of certificated and classified employees assigned to per sonnel offices increased. A slight increase in the number of such employees was recommended. r 4. Half of the personnel administrators held a combined line and staff relationship; fewer than a third held line authority; and approximately one fifth had an advisory relationship in the district. 5. The functions performed most frequently in all districts and recommended to be performed in a line capac ity were (a) assignment, (b) personnel policies, (c) transfer, (d) the personnel budget, and (e) selection. 6. The personnel functions performed most fre quently in an advisory capacity were (a) assignment, (b) 486 in-service training, (c) evaluation, and (d) instruction. Staff functions recommended most frequently were (a) as signment, (b) in-service training, (c) transfer, and (d) personnel policies. 7. In two thirds of all districts an advisory re lationship existed between the personnel administrator and the assistant superintendent in charge of business serv ices (or business manager). Approximately three fourths of the respondents recommended the same relationship. 8. In almost half of the districts a staff rela tionship existed between the personnel administrator and the assistant superintendent in charge of instructional services. Approximately two thirds recommended this rela tionship. 9. An advisory relationship existed most fre quently between the personnel administrator and princi pals, a relationship which existed in more than half of the smaller districts. 10. It was recommended by a majority of respondents that an advisory relationship exist between the personnel administrator and principals. 11. The probability is that larger districts will 487 have established written statements of personnel responsi bilities. All respondents recommended that these respon sibilities be stated in writing. 12. Written statements of personnel functions were found most frequently in an administrative guide or board rules and regulations. Two thirds of the respond ents recommended one of these two channels. 13. In rank order, factors determining the evolve- ment of a personnel office or department were (a) growth due to enrollment, (b) increased personnel problems and responsibilities, (c) administrative overload and/or re organization, (d) coordinated system of personnel records, (e) centralization of personnel responsibilities, (f) pro curement of personnel, (g) formulation of systematic per sonnel policies, (h) change in policy of the board of edu cation, and (i) orientation and in-service training of new personnel. The relative importance of some factors de pended upon the size of the district. 14. Many different personnel organizational struc tures were utilized. A sequence of organizational pat terns evolved as district enrollments increased. 488 15. As district enrollments increased, there was a tendency for personnel responsibilities to be separated from a line relationship and to be performed by staff specialists. 16. A majority of districts, regardless of size, employed some form of decentralized personnel organiza tion. 17. Establishment of some form of centralized per sonnel office or department was recommended by respondents from three fourths of all districts, more frequently in the larger and medium-sized than in the smaller districts. 18. Only a few of the larger districts incorporated a separate personnel department or were completely cen tralized, although a majority of their respondents recom mended this organizational plan. 19. The evolvement of personnel administrative organizations occurred in a sequence of five overlapping stages of development as district enrollments increased. These stages of development were here identified as (a) enforced centralization, (b) partial decentralization, (c) complete decentralization, (d) partial recentraliza tion, and (e) complete centralization. 489 III. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study support the following conclusions: 1. Ratios pertaining to the number of certificated employees to enrollment are relatively uniform in most districts, but wide diversity exists in the ratios of num bers of classified employees to enrollments, even among districts of similar size. 2. A majority of personnel administrators are currently following most of the practices they recommend. 3. The smaller the district, the greater the bur den of personnel responsibility borne by the superintend ent. It follows that, as district enrollments increase, there is a corresponding decrease in the ability of the superintendent to maintain close personal relationships with employees. 4. Almost all personnel functions are being per formed in almost all districts surveyed, regardless of district size, type of personnel organization, or the position or positions responsible for the functions. 490 5. The evolvement of personnel administrative organizations appears to follow a sequence of five over lapping stages of development, each related to district enrollment levels. 6. There is a general desire on the part of per sonnel administrators to achieve some form of centralized personnel organization. While a majority of districts currently utilize some form of decentralized personnel organization, a trend is noted In the direction of cen tralization of personnel services. 7. The size of district enrollment Is a factor in many facets of the personnel program. IV. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. The district-level position having the major responsibility for the personnel program should be at the assistant superintendency level and should be directly responsible to the superintendent. 2. The title of the personnel administrator should give an indication of his major or complete responsibility for the district's personnel program. 491 3. One full-time certificated position should be established at the 7,000 to 10,000 enrollment levels, and one additional position created when enrollments reach the 13,000-17,000 range; a third full-time certificated posi tion should not be needed until enrollments reach 22,000 or more. 4. One full-time classified position for personnel duties should be established at the 5*000-6,000 enrollment levels, and one position added for approximately each additional 5*000 enrollments. 5. Major influencing factors which should be con sidered by districts establishing a personnel position are (a) enrollment growth, (b) increased administrative responsibilities, (c) physical size of district, (d) per sonnel turnover, (e) maintenance of accurate and adequate personnel records, (f) increazed number of personnel prob lems, and (g) recruitment methods and increased procure ment competition. 6. Personnel administrators should allot approxi mately three fourths of their personnel time to certifi cated employees and one fourth to classified employees. Business managers should devote almost all of their 492 personnel time to classified employees. 7. The most logical areas of administrative re sponsibility to be combined with that of personnel, where necessary, are (a) instruction, (b) special services, (c) public relations, or (d) administrative routine, depend ing upon district size. 8. An assistant superintendent in charge of per sonnel or a personnel director should be assigned most of the major personnel responsibility for certificated and classified employees. 9. Superintendents of smaller school districts snould share more responsibility for the total personnel program than should superintendents of larger districts. 10. All of the personnel functions included in this survey should be performed to some extent by person nel administrators, regardless of district size. 11. Personnel administrators should be cognizant of a tendency for the personnel program to become broader in scope and complexity as the district enrollment increases, and they should plan the personnel program accordingly. 12. Personnel administrators in larger districts should devote relatively more time to certificated and 495 classified personnel functions than should personnel ad ministrators in medium-sized and smaller districts. 13. The relative expenditure of time for certifi cated and classified personnel functions should be related to the number of personnel and the enrollment of the dis trict. Nevertheless, a majority of the personnel func tions discussed in this study should be performed daily as part of a continuous program of personnel services. 14. The number of certificated and classified em ployees assigned to the personnel office or department should be increased gradually as the district enrollment increases. 15. Almost all of the personnel responsibilities assigned to the personnel administrator should be per formed in an advisory capacity. 16. An advisory relationship should exist between the personnel administrator and other district-level ad ministrative positions; this staff relationship should also extend to the school principals. 17. The responsibilities of the personnel adminis trator should be stipulated in writing, either in the ad ministrative guide or in the board rules and regulations. 18. In planning and developing a personnel office or department, administrators should take into considera tion the factors of (a) growth due to enrollment, (b) in creased personnel problems and responsibilities, (c) ad ministrative overload and/or reorganization, (d) coor dinated system of personnel records, (e) centralization of personnel responsibilities, (f) recruitment methods and level of competition, (g) formulation of systematic per sonnel policies, (h) change in policy of the board of edu cation, and (i) orientation and in-service training of new personnel. 19. Most districts should have some form of cen tralized personnel program, bringing responsibility for most certificated and classified personnel functions under the direction of a full-time personnel administrator as soon as the appropriate enrollment level is reached. 20. Public school personnel administrators in the state of California should become familiar with the se quence in the developmental stages of personnel organiza tional structures in planning their personnel programs. 495 Recommendations for Further Study The following recommendations for further study are made on the basis of the findings, conclusions and recom mendations presented in this study. 1. A study should be made of the methods, tech niques, and procedures utilized by the personnel adminis trator in performing various personnel functions. 2. A study should be made to identify human rela tions techniques which have been proven successful in the administration of certificated and classified personnel, especially as they pertain to employee morale. 5. A study should be made to determine the various factors which affect ratios between certificated employees and enrollment, classified employees and enrollment, and between certificated and classified at different levels of district enrollment. 4. A study should be made of the effect of differ ent educational administrative philosophies upon the or ganizational patterns of personnel programs adopted by school districts. 5. A study should be made to continue and extend the findings of this research pertaining to the stages of development of personnel programs. Districts larger and smaller than those included in this study should be sur veyed, as well as districts other than unified and those having a common administration for elementary and second ary schools. 6. A study should be made of industrial personnel management practices and personnel administrative prac tices in public agencies that may be employed in public school personnel administration. 505 E. DIRECTORIES 63. California Teachers' Association. Salaries and Salary Schedules Reported for 1957-58. Research Bulletin No. 109. San Francisco, California: California Teachers1 Association, December 1957. 64. State of California. Directory of Administrative and Supervisory Personnel of California Public Schools. Vol. XXV, No. 7. Sacramento, Cali fornia: California State Printing Office, October 1956. BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY A. BOOKS 1. Baker, Walton W. Personnel Management in Small Plants. Columbus: The Ohio State University Press, 1955. 288 pp. 2. Brook, P. H. C. Personnel Management and Welfare. London: Burke Publishing Co., Ltd., 1952. 287 PP. 5. Case, Harry L. Personnel Policy in a Public Agency. New York: Harper Brothers, 1955. 557 PP- 4. Chandler, B. J., and Paul V. Petty. Personnel Man agement in School Administration. New York: World Book Company, 1955* 598 pp. 5. Dimock, Marshall E., and Gladys 0. Dimock. Public Administration. New York: Rinehart and Company, Inc., 1955. 551 PP. 6. Elsbree, Willard S., and E. E. Reutter, Jr. Staff Personnel in the Public Schools. New York: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1954. 4^8 pp. 7. International City Manager's Association. Municipal Personnel Administration. Chicago: Institute for Training in Municipal Administration, 1942. 429 PP. 8. Jucius, Michael J. Personnel Management. Fourth edition. Homewood, Illinois: Irwin Publishing Company, 1959. 765 PP. 9. Knowles, William H. Personnel Management, A Human Relations Approach. New York: American Book Company, 1955. 488 pp. 498 499 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Luck, Thomas J. Personnel Audit and Appraisal. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1955. 488 pp. Melbo, Irving R., et^ al_. Report of the Survey, Phoenix Union High School and Phoenix College System, Vol. II. Phoenix: Board of Trustees, 1953. 394 pp. _______. Report of the Survey, Pomona Unified School District. Vol. II. Pomona, California: Board of Trustees, 1957- 319 PP. _______. Report of the Survey, Whittier Union High School District. Whittier, California: Board of Trustees, 1959. 537 PP. Moore, Harold E., and Newell B. Walters. Personnel Administration in Education. New York: Harper Brothers, 1955. 476 pp. Morphet, Edgar L., Roe L. Johns, and Theodore L. Reller. Educational Administration. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1959. 556 pp. Mosher, William E., J. Donald Kingsley, and 0. Glenn Stahl. Public Personnel Administration. New York: Harper Brothers, 1950. 652 pp. Pfiffner, John M. The Supervision of Personnel. New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1958. 529 pp. Pfiffner, John M., and R. Vance Presthus. Public Admini3tration. New York: The Ronald Press Company, 1953. 626 pp. Pigors, Paul, and Charles A. Myers. Readings in Personnel Administration. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1952. 485 PP. Scott, Walter D., Robert C. Colthier, and William R. Spriegel. Personnel Management. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1954. 690 pp. 501 50. Goodwin, Jack C. "Principles and Practices of Teacher Evaluation Programs in the Elementary Schools of the United States." Unpublished doc toral dissertation, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1956. 51. Johnson, Ray W. "Principles of Internal Organization for Public School Administration." Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1952. 52. Johnson, Russell E. "The Development of Procedures for Formulating Policies Relating to Certificated Personnel." Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1958. 55. Magner, Wallace B., Jr. "Certificated Personnel Records for Small School Districts in California." Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The Univer sity of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1956. 54. Peard, Isabel Jane. "A Developmental Study of Per sonnel Functions in Public School Administra tion." Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Cor nell University, Ithaca, 1948. 55. Piety, Donald B. "Legal Aspects of Recruitment, Se lection, and Assignment of Certificated Personnel in Public Schools as Shown by Court Decisions." Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1956. 56. Scarborough, Comer Lee. "A Personnel Program for the Mobile Schools." Unpublished doctoral disserta tion, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, 1950. 57. Simons, Aubrey H. "An Evaluation of Recruitment Methods in Medium-Sized School Districts in Cali fornia." Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1956. 500 21. 22. 25. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. Waite, William W. Personnel Administration. New York: The Ronald Press Company, 1952. 685 PP. Walters, J. E. Applied Personnel Administration. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1951. 557 PP. Weber, Clarence A. Personnel Problems of School Administration. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Com pany, Inc., 1954. 578 pp. Yeager, William A. Administration and the Teacher. New York: Harper Brothers, 1954, 1954. 577 PP* B. UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS Browne, Robert E. "An Evaluation of Professional Education in Public School Personnel Administra tion." Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1954. Carroll, Wesley T. "Teacher Personnel Administra tion in Large City School Systems." Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 1952. Davis, Hazel. "Personnel Administration in Three Non-Teaching Services of the Public Schools." Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Teachers Col lege, Columbia University, New York, 1948. Elliott, Arthur R. "California Public School Busi ness Official." Unpublished doctoral disserta tion, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1958. Galluzzo, A. Niel. "Administration of Classified Personnel in California." Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Southern Cali fornia, Los Angeles, 1955. 502 58. Stallings, John W. "Sick Leave for Certificated Public School Employees." Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Southern Cali fornia, Los Angeles, 1958. 59. Warner, Wendell L. "A Synthesis of Problems in School Personnel Administration." Unpublished Master's thesis, The University of Southern Cal ifornia, Los Angeles, 1955. 40. Wheeler, Donald R. "The Organization, Relationships and Responsibilities of the Personnel Office in School Districts of Ten Thousand to Thirty Thousand Enrollment." Unpublished doctoral dis sertation, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1958. 41. Young, Wayne W. "Personnel Procedures in the Smaller Elementary School Districts of California." Un published doctoral dissertation, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1956. C. PUBLICATIONS OP PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 42. American Association of School Administrators. Staff Relations in School Administration. Washington, D.C.: National Education Association, 1946. 45. . The American School Superintendency. Wash ington, D.C.: National Educational Association, 1952. 44. National Education Association, Research Division. Teacher-Personnel and Research Units in City School Systems. Research Bulletin, No. 4, May 1951. 45. . Teacher Personnel Practices, Urban School Districts. Research Bulletin, Special Memo, June 1956. 505 46. Spalding, Willard B. Organizing the Personnel of a Democratic School System, Forty-Fifth Yearbook, National Society for the Study of Education, Part II. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 19^6. 47. Young, Raymond J., and Beryl Dillman. "Evaluation of Illinois School Superintendents' Administra tive Practices Based on Authoritative Opinion," Caldron. Vol. Ill, No. 5# Spring Issue, 1959. D. PERIODICALS, SURVEYS AND PAMPHLETS 48. Appley, Lawrence A. "Functions of the Personnel Executive," Bulletin No. 1, Address presented at Industrial Relations Executives Dinner, November 1959. 20 pp. 49. Bain, V. D. "What Research is Needed in the Adminis tration of Educational Personnel," Education, December, 195^, PP. 259“245. 50. Butterbaugh, Wayne L. "Administrative Organization of Personnel Services," American School Board Journal, October 1955> PP. 55“54. 51. Cabe, Ernest W., Jr. "The Functions of Administra tion of Educational Personnel," Education, December 195^* PP. 218-222. 52. Commerce and Industry Association. Business . . . Is People, A Brief Guide to Sound Employee Rela tions. New York: Commerce and Industry Associa tion, 1958> PP. 9. 55. Delden, E. H. "Personnel Activities in i960: A Fore cast," Personnel, January 1956, pp. 294-500. 54. Kennelly, Edward F. "Human Relations in Personnel Administration for Education," Education, December 195^3 PP. 214-217. 504 55. Luck, Thomas J. "Your Personnel Audit for Large and Small Businesses," A Publication of Person nel Relations Department, The Indiana State Chamber of Commerce, Indianapolis, Indiana: The Chamber, 1952. 10 pp. 56. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Functions of the Personnel Director, A Report Prepared by the Policyholder Service Bureau. New York: Metro politan Life Insurance Company, 1952. 54 pp. 57. Mones, Leon. "Administration of Educational Person nel— The New Emphasis," Education, December 1954, pp. 205-207. 58. National Industrial Conference Board, "Organization of Staff Functions," Studies in Personnel Policy, No. 165. New York: National Industrial Conference Board, Inc., 1958* PP. 56-59. 59. Reller, Theodore L. "More Adequate Personnel Admin istration Is Imperative," The American School Board Journal, August 1950, pp. 15-15. 60. Spodick, Frances. "How to Establish and Maintain a Personnel Department," American Management Asso ciation, Research Report No. 4, New York, 1954, 114 pp. 61. Williams, Edgar G. "A Survey of the Rapidly Emerging Professional Status of Modern Personnel Execu tives," A Publication of Personnel Relations De partment, The Indiana State Chamber of Commerce. Indianapolis, Indiana: The Chamber, 1952, 10 pp. 62. Winnerstrora, Lillian. "Personnel Interdependency," Education, December 1954, pp. 255-258. 506 a p p e n d i c e s 514 4. Other Assistants or Deputy Superintendents? E. What do you think should be the relationship between the personnel administrator and the following posi tions: 1. Assistant Superintendent in charge of business? 2. Assistant Superintendent in charge of instruc tion? 5. Administrative Assistant? 4. Other Assistants or Deputy Superintendents? P. Are the functions of the personnel administrator in writing? yes No If yes, where? __________________ P. G. Should the functions of the personnel administra tor be specified in writing? yes _No If yes, where? ________________________ G. H. How many employees are in your district personnel office, if such an office exists? 1. Number of certificated employees: _____________ 1. 2. Number of classified employees: 2. 5. No such office exists: 5. I. If such an office exists how many employees do you think should be in a school district your size? 1. Number of certificated employees: 1. 2. Number of classified employees: 2. J. Why did a separate personnel office evolve in your district? ................................... J. APPENDIX A PERSONAL INTERVIEW GUIDE AND ACCOMPANYING CORRESPONDENCE 508 Personal Interview Guide A SURVEY OF FUNCTIONS PERFORMED BY PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATORS IN SELECTED CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS The concern of this study is to determine the vari ous personnel functions performed at the district level for public school personnel. Insight is sought as to what administrators are responsible for performing these func tions. The study is also concerned with what functions should be performed at the district level of public schools in the State of California. Specifically, the questions which this study pro poses to answer are these: 1. What personnel functions are performed for public school personnel? 2. What functions should be performed? 5. Which administrator performs the various personnel functions? 4. Which administrators should perform the functions? 5. What relationship exists between the offices performing these functions? 6. What should be the relationship between these offices? 7. To analyze and evaluate the findings of this study in regards to the professional judg ment of personnel administrators in the 509 fields and those of a jury of specialists. 8. To make recommendations that might improve current practices and more clearly define what functions should be performed in the future. The purpose of this personal interview is to ascer tain the following: 1. The clarity and pertinency of the ques tions presented. 2. The adequacy and completeness of the survey. 3. Who should fill out the questionnaire — the Superintendent, Personnel Director, or Business Manager? 4. What is the best time of the year to send the questionnaire to the school districts? In furnishing the following information, data should be restricted to grades K-12, excluding Continua tion School, Adult Education and Junior College. In answering this guide please keep in mind the size of your school district and its special organization for handling all personnel functions. Information received will be kept in strict confi dence, and will be used later to help formulate a question naire. Names of individual school districts will not be used. Persons participating in this study will be fur nished a copy of the results if they so desire. 510 Part I IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS A. Name of school district:.... ...................... A. B. Name of respondent: ................................B. 1. Present position: ............................. 1. C. Type of school district: 1. Unified: 1. 2. Districts with a common adminis tration: 2. D. Size of school district: (1956-57 school year) 1. Number of students: (A. D. A., K-12) __________ 1. 2. Number of schools: a. Elementary_______Junior High______ High school _______ _ 5. Number of all district employees: a. Number of certificated employees: __________ a. b. Number of classified employees: b. E. Number of square miles: (within school districts boundaries) E. F. Approximate community population: F. 511 Part II PERSONNEL ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION A. Which administrator is ultimately responsible for personnel administration at the district level in your district? ............ A. 1. How many years has he had this responsibility? 1. 2. Which district administrator do you think should be responsible for personnel adminis tration? ....................................... 2. B. What is his official title? ....................... B. 1. What should be the title? .................... 1. C. Which administrator is responsible for: 1. Certificated employees: ...................... 1. 2. Classified employees: ........................ 2. D. Which administrator should be responsible for: 1. Certificated employees: ..... 1. 2. Classified employees: ........................ 2. E. At what size, in terms of A. D. A., did your school district have need for a: 1. Part-time (less than half-time) personnel administrator _____________ 1. 2. Half-time personnel administra tor______________________________________________ 2. 5. Full-time personnel administra tor______________________________________________ 5. 512 P. What factors other than A. D. A. influenced your school district in providing for a personnel administrator? .......................... F. G. At what A. D. A. do you think your school district central office should add or should have added a personnel administrator? 1. Part-time (less than half-time) personnel administrator 1. 2. Half-time personnel administra tor 2. 5. Full-time personnel administra tor 5. H. What factors, other than size, do you think should be considered in this decision? ................... H. I. Approximately what percentage of the personnel ad ministrators' time is allotted specifically to: 1. Certificated employees: 1. 2. Classified employees: 2. J. Approximately what percentage of time do you think should be allotted to: 1. Certificated employees: 1. 2. Classified employees: 2. K. If your personnel administrator performs on a part-time or half-time basis, what other areas of administrative responsibility are assigned to him? K. 1. What other areas of administrative responsi bility do you think combine best with the personnel position in a school district your size? ........................................... 1. 515 Part III PATTERN OP INTERNAL ORGANIZATION OF THE PERSONNEL OFFICE A. To whom is the central office personnel admin istrator directly responsible? ................... A. 1. For a school district your size, to whom do you think should he be responsible? ......... 1. B. What school personnel are responsible to the per sonnel administrator? ............................ B. 1. What school personnel should be responsible to the personnel administrator? ................. 1. C. Does the person or persons having personnel admin istrative responsibilities, have line authority, advisory authority, or both ...................... C. 1. In what areas does he have line authority?.... 1. 2. In what areas do you think he should have line authority? .................................... 2. 5. In what areas does he have advisory responsi bility? ....................................... 5. 4. In what areas do you think he should have ad visory responsibility? ....................... 4. D. What is the relationship between the personnel ad ministrator and the following positions: 1. Assistant Superintendent in charge of business? 2. Assistant Superintendent in charge of instruc tion? 5. Administrative Assistant? 5151 K. What is the relationship of the personnel office to other division offices at the central dis trict service level? K. | i L. Should a school district your size have a separate personnel office? Yes No _____ L. M. Which of the following best describes the person nel organization of your school district? 1. The personnel functions are handled exclu sively by the Superintendent. There is no separate personnel administrator as such. ___ 1. 2. There is a separate personnel administra tor employed approximately half-time on personnel functions. 5. There is a full-time personnel adminis trator who may or may not have subordinate employees. 5. 4. A full-time personnel administrator, bringing together in a major division all groups concerned with personnel functions. Several subordinate certificated and classified employees are assigned to the division. 4. N. Which of the above descriptions do you think would be the best type of personnel organiza tion for your school district. 1. _____ 2 . ______ 5. _____ 4. 516 Part IV EXTENT TO WHICH VARIOUS DISTRICT LEVEL PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS ARE PERFORMED AND ADMINISTRATORS RESPONSIBLE FOR PERFORMING THE FUNCTIONS Purposes of Part IV 1. To determine which district level personnel functions are performed and which functions you think should be performed. 2. To determine which administrators are responsible for performing district level personnel functions and who you think should be responsible. 3. To determine the extent to which the various district level personnel functions are performed and to what extent you think they should be performed. 4. To determine which personnel functions are performed for certificated and classified personnel and which ones you think should be performed. Directions Please place an (X) and or (R) in the appropriate box opposite the personnel functions listed. (X) indicates your present practices (r ) indicates your recommended practices (XR) indicates that you are recommending your present practice Please keep in mind the size of your district (ADA) when indicating your present practices and recom mended practices. Please note that you are requested to show both what your practice is at present and what you recommend for your school district. 517 Possible personnel functions being per formed (Please add additional functions performed by your school district in the blank spaces at the end of each section) SECTION I Securing Employees 5 4 3 2 1 C F 0 S N Ce Cl 1. Recruitment 2. Appraisal 3. Selection 4. Assignment 5. SECTION II Retention, Dismissal 5 4 3 2 1 C F 0 S N Ce Cl 6. Orientation 7. In-service Training 8. Evaluation 9. Transfers 10. Promotions 11. Terminations 12. Discipline 13. SECTION III Records and Reports 5 4 3 2 1 C F 0 S N Ce Cl 14. Personnel Records 15. Checking Credentials Administrator re- Extent of Personnel sponsible for the attention function personnel function given performed for i •o a <u 4J h i i » >* 0 3 U 4J f-4 i-t 3 U h ■U Qu<U 3 <U • '• V 0) a « a h a, < o « < u Q a > —i 3 a a *3 « Q n t i ti a - a r h 3 4J 0) i-4 4J*r» p* u aw o i a a — * a 3 3 a 3 3 ■H Url a 4J PQ < 0 U 00 H o CO w M o i a ) a - h o > a«e> h « w ja 3 ( 0 3 0 ) MOW p« < o » o CO <co >» •3 i — * 4 r —4 3 a >> r —4 4 - 1 •3 3 H 3 3 3 o 4J 3 a •H 3 a o •H > 4 - 4 3 0 ) iH S > 4 - 4 * r 4 •H 3 a t o M •H a 4 J CP 3 *3 3 3 3 0 ) U . - 4 > H 3 O M U V 3 3 i —4 u O CO Z U u 518 Possible personnel functions being performed (Please add additional functions performed by your school district in the blank space at end of each section) Administrator re sponsible for the personnel function Extent of Personnel attention function given performed ►. 4 J 9 e otd at oat •o ~d a ) u a i 4 4 a va t4 U t I M COM at •w ot a a a 9 «9 03 «sc/> 44 M I M o a a -w U H « H OHO) a t a t 9 a t H Q.i - 1 n •h 9 a a t O co 9 a t CQ r - 4 r - 4 U V 04 a t d i d a t - u i D tt f l a o u a t h a i-ns a t V ) « d 43 a t a a t u 04 h 3* j o >, >* T3 w H at C O >> H •u •o 9 « - 4 < d a s at O 44 d o • h 9 d O f t 0 - 1 d 0 1 •H 9 •H •H 9 C O 5 u •H at 44 O* at •9 at 44 C O d at O •H > V I c O cS M 04 o O a t CO 2 8 H CJ = = 5 4 3 2 1 C F 0 s N Ce Cl 16. Retirement List 17. Personnel Correspondence 18. Records of Assignments 19. Employee Contracts 20. Employee Handbooks 21. SECTION IV Administrative Functions 5 4 3 2 1 C F 0 s N Ce Cl 22. Personnel Policies 23. Salary Schedule 24. Personnel Budget 25. Personnel Office Structure 26. Job Descriptions 2-7. Approval of Vacations 28. Administrative Statistics 29. Local-county-state Personnel Records 30. Public Relations 31. SECTION V Employee Welfare 5 4 3 2 1 C F 0 s N Ce Cl 32. Health-Safety Program 33. Employee Leave Policies 3 4 . Em ployee M orale 519 Possible personnel functions being performed (Please add additional functions performed by your school district in the blank space at end of each section) Administrator re sponsible for the personnel function u I /-\ CO >» o 0 « *J U Q H 9 O M 0 *J QrU 4> 9) 0 4) 0 <U 0 U Cu-r4 CO « Q V ^ 9 0 0 ”0 9 Q U 9 (I a »fl M H 4 ) W « i - 4 W W 04 « aw v a i a 0 a 3 0 w ■ •w u < h a w a « H 0 h O 10 0) H # iCt) CO i-CO 4) a «a b a a M 3 CO 9 o CO 0 ) W CO -<CO 04 < w o Extent of attention given Personnel function for >> >» •o H r —1 4 1 C O >> H w •9 9 H 3 0 4 > O 4J o i - l 9 0 o 1 - C 4 - 1 0 4 ) •H § •H T* 3 a H • r 4 C O u o r e l •9 4 ) U C O a 4 ) o > u 0 8 u a 4 > & 4 ) i - < to O C O as O u 5 4 3 2 1 C F O S N Ce Cl | 35. Grievances, Counseling 36. Retirement Plan i 37. Group Insurance 38. . Recreational Activities 39. Housing Service 40. SECTION VI Other Functions (Please list) 41. 42? 43. 44. 45. Please use this space to make any comments and suggestions for improve ment of the questionnaire: 520 j I Mr. John C. Whinnery Montebello Unified School District 125 S. Montebello Blvd. ! Montebello, California ; Dear Mr. Whinnery: I I am engaged in a study to determine the specific areas of j responsibility for personnel functions performed by dis trict administrators at the central offices of school dis tricts throughout California. Would it be possible to arrange a personal interview with j i the administrator responsible for personnel functions at the district level? If there is one administrator respon- j ; sible for certificated personnel and another for classi- | fied personnel I would appreciate an appointment with both j officers. My school district has allowed me the afternoons of one week (June 5“7> 1957) so that I may conduct these inter- | views. I would appreciate a half-hour appointment some time during this period. An interview guide will be sent ahead of time. Part of the guide may be completed before my arrival; this would reduce the time required for the interview. Please indicate your desires in this matter by completing the enclosed post card and returning it as soon as pos sible. Sincerely yours, Mr. Jay D. Mack Mr. Jay D. Mack 15915 Haldane Street Whittier, California JDM: wjm 521 RETURN POSTCARD ENCLOSURE f THIS SIDE OF CARP IS FOR ADDRESS ) Jay D. Mack 15915 Haldane St. Whittier, California Please check ( ) in the appropriate space. You may telephone the district personnel admin istrator named below and arrange a personal interview. Name _____________________________________ Title _____________________________________ School __________________________________ _ Phone _____________________________________ Our district will be unable to participate in the study at this time. Would you like a summary of all the personal interviews and the study when completed? Yes No Signed: 522 (Letterhead of) WHITTIER UNION HIGH SCHOOL May 27, 1957 Mr. J. H. Hull, Superintendent Torrance Unified School District 2555 Plaza del Amo Torrance, California Dear Mr. Hull: We are very much concerned about the problem of personnel organization at the district level, including personnel functions that are being provided, and the persons who perform these functions. Mr. Jay D. Mack, one of our teachers, is making a study in this area. We would appreciate your furnishing him with the data he needs to complete this study. Sincerely yours, C. H. Wennerberg Superintendent By______________________ Heber H. Holloway Deputy Superintendent HHH:imp 523 15915 Haldane Street Whittier, California May 31, 1957 Mr. Lou Tallman Culver City Unified School District 4034 Irving Place Culver City, California Dear Mr. Tallman: This letter is to confirm our recent telephone conversa tion of May 31. You will find enclosed a personal inter view guide that I would like to follow during my inter view. If you wish, part of the interview guide may be completed before my arrival. This would reduce the time required for my personal interview. As I understand our appointment is for Tuesday, June 4, at 2:00 P.M. in your office. I know that you are ex tremely busy this time of the school year and I deeply appreciate your cooperation very much. Sincerely yours, Jay D. Mack Phone: Owen 7-2249 Enclosure APPENDIX B PILOT STUDY AND ACCOMPANYING LETTER 525 August 22, 1957 Mr. Eugene P. Mueller, Supt. San Bernardino City Schools Administration Building 799 F Street San Bernardino, California Dear Mr. Mueller: Mr. Jay D. Mack is making a professional study of "The Functions Performed by Personnel Administrators in Selected California School Districts." The Southern California Association of School Person nel Administrators of which the undersigned is currently president is sponsoring this study because we believe the results will be of significant value in promoting improved school personnel operations. We hope you will extend your full cooperation to Mr. Mack in order that this project may be successfully com pleted for our mutual benefit. Very truly yours, Edward H. Rowlns Assistant Superintendent for Personnel 526 Pilot Study A SURVEY OF FUNCTIONS PERFORMED BY PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATORS IN SELECTED CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS The concern of this study is to determine the var ious personnel functions performed at the DISTRICT LEVEL for public school personnel. The study is also concerned with what functions SHOULD BE performed at the DISTRICT LEVEL of public schools in the State of California. In furnishing the following Information, data should be restricted to grades K-12j this includes Contin uation School, but excludes Adult Education and Junior College. Information received will be kept in strict confi dence, and will be used later to formulate a final ques tionnaire. Names of individual school districts will not be used. Persons participating in this study will be fur nished a copy of the results of the final questionnaire if they so desire. PART I IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS A. Name of school district: _________ A. B. Name of respondent: ____________________________ B. C. Type of school district: 1. Unified: 1. 2. Districts with common administration: ____ 3. Other: ____ D. Size of school district: (1957“58 school year) 4. Number of students: (A.D.A., K-12) ____ 5. Number of all district employees: a. Number of certificated employees: ____ b. Number of classified employees: ____ PART II THE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR A. Which administrator is directly responsible for per sonnel administration at the district level?______ A. 1. Which administrator do you think should be re sponsible for personnel administration at the district level? ______________________________ 1. B. What is his official title? _______________________ B. 2. What do you think his title should be? _______ 2. C. Which district administrator is responsible for: 3. Certificated employees: _______________________ 3. 4. Classified employees: _________________________ 4. D. Which administrator do you think should be respon sible for: 5. Certificated employees: _______________________ 5. 6. Classified employees: _________________________ 6. 527 2. 3. 4. a. b. 528 E. At what size, in terms of A.D.A., did your school district central office have need for a: 7. Part-time (less than half-time) personnel administrator ________ 7 • 8. Approximately half-time personnel ad ministrator 8. 9. Pull-time personnel administrator _________ 9- P. At what size, in terms of A.D.A., do you think your school district central office should add or should have added a personnel administrator? 10. Part-time (less than half-time) personnel administrator 10. 11. Approximately half-time personnel administrator ________ 11. 12. Full-time personnel administrator _________ 12. G. What factors influenced your school district in provid ing for a personnel administrator? ________________ G. H. What factors do you think should be considered by your school district in this decision? ____________ H. I. Approximately what percentage of the personnel ad ministrators' time is allotted specifically to: (Your total of 100# should represent the time spent in personnel administration only.) 15. Certificated employees: 15. 14. Classified employees: 14. Total 100# J. Approximately what percentage of time do you think should be allotted to: (Your estimate should total 100# and represent only the time spent in personnel administration.) 529 15. Certificated employees: 15. 16. Classified employees: 16. Total 100# K. If your personnel administrator performs on less than a full-time basis, what other areas of administrative responsibility are assigned to him? ________________ K. L. What areas of administrative responsibility do you think COMBINE BEST with the personnel position in a school district your size? _________________________ L, PART III THE DISTRICT PERSONNEL OFFICE A. To whom is the district central office personnel admin istrator directly responsible? ___________________ A. 1. For a school district your size, to whom do you think he should be responsible? _________ 1. B. Which district office employees are responsible to the personnel administrator in relation to his per sonnel responsibilities? Certificated employees: ____________________________ Classified employees: ______________________________ B. 2. Which district office employees should be re sponsible to the personnel administrator in relation to his personnel responsibilities? Certificated employees: _______________________ Classified employees: _________________________ 2. C. (Please check one) Does the person or persons having personnel administrative responsibilities 530 at the district level have line authority _____, advisory authority _____, or both . C. 3. In what areas does he have line authority at the district level? ___________________________ 3. 4. In what areas do you think he should have line authority at the district level? _____________ 4. 5. In what areas does he have advisory responsi bility at the district level? _________________ 5* 6. In what areas do you think he should have ad visory responsibility at the district level? 6. . D. What is the line and advisory (staff) relationship between the personnel administrator and the following positions at the district level? (Please indicate the relationship by checking a, b, c, or d.) a = Line relationship • b = Advisory (staff) relationship c = > Both line and advisory relationship d' = No such position exists 7. Superintendent: a * b. c.. d. 7. 8. Deputy or Assistant of Business: Superintendent in Charge a. b. c. d. 8. 9. Deputy or Assistant of Instruction: Superintendent in Charge a. b. c. d. 9. 10. Name other district positions: (Please explain relationship) a. b. d. 10. 551 E. What do you think should be the relationship between the personnel administrator and the following posi tions at the district level? (Please indicate the relationship by checking a, b, c, or d.) a = Line relationship b = Advisory (staff) relationship c = Both line and advisory relationship d = No such position exists 11. Superintendent: a. b. c. d. 11. 12. Deputy or Assistant of Business: Superintendent in Charge . a. b. c. d. 12. 15. Deputy or Assistant of Instruction: Superintendent in Charge a. b. c. d. 15. 14. Name other district positions: (Please explain relationship) a. b. c._____ P. Are the functions of the personnel administrator in writing? Yes No If yes, where?__________________ F. G. Should the functions of the personnel administra tor be specified in writing? Yes No If yes, where?__________________ G. H. How many employees are in your district personnel office, if such an office exists? (if an employee works only half-time on personnel matters, count that employee one-half or any other proper fraction as the case may be.) 533 23. The personnel functions are handled jointly by: a. Superintendent and Personnel Admin istrator _______ b. Superintendent and Business Manager _______ c. Business Manager and Personnel Administrator _______ d. Superintendent and Deputy or Assistant Superintendent _______ 24. There is a full-time personnel administrator, bringing together in a major division all groups concerned with personnel functions. Several sub ordinate certificated and classified employees are assigned to the office. 24. 25. Please describe your own personnel organization if the above statements do not adequately give a .description of your district. ________________ 25. M. Which of the above descriptions do you think would be the best type of personnel organization for your school district? (Please give one of the above numbers. Ex. 20 or 23b) M. PART IV EXTENT TO WHICH VARIOUS DISTRICT LEVEL PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS ARE PERFORMED AND ADMINISTRATORS RESPONSIBLE FOR PERFORMING THE FUNCTIONS Purposes of Part IV 1. To determine which district level personnel functions are performed and which functions you think should be performed. 2. To determine which administrators are responsible for performing district level personnel functions and who you think should be responsible. 532 15. Number of certificated employees: 15. 16. Number of classified employees: 16. 17. No such office exists?_________________________ 17• I. If a district personnel office exists how many em ployees do you think should be in a school district central office your size? 18. Number of certificated employees: 18. 19. Number of classified employees: 19* J. Should a school district your size have a separate personnel office? Yes_____ No_____ J. K. Why did a separate district personnel office evolve in your district? _________________________________ . K. L. Which of the following best describes your personnel organization at the school district level? (Please check one) 20. The personnel functions are handled exclusively by the Superintendent. There is no separate per sonnel administrator as such. 20. 21. There is a separate personnel administrator employed part of his total time on personnel functions. Approximately what part of his total time is devoted to personnel? a. One fourth (20# - 39#) ________ b. Half time (40# - 59#) ________ c. Three fourths (60# - 79#)__________ ________ d. Almost full-time (80# - 95#) ________ 22. There is a full-time personnel administrator who may or may not have subordinate employees. 22. To determine the extent to which the various district level personnel functions are performed and to what extent you think they should be performed. To determine which personnel functions are performed for certificated and classified personnel and which ones you think should be performed. Directions Please place an (E) and/or (R) in the appro priate square opposite the personnel func tions given below. (E) Indicates your existing practices (R) Indicates your recommended practices (ER) In the same square Indicates that you are recommending your existing practice If an E is NOT placed in the squares under the certificated and classified, this would indi cate that function is NOT performed for that group of employees. Please note that you are requested to show both what your practice is at present and what practices you recommend for your school district. Please keep in mind the size of your district. 535 {Possible personnel functions being performed i j(Please add additional I functions performed by J your school district | in the blank space at ‘ end of each section) Administrator re sponsible for the personnel function Extent of Function attention performed given for * x i p cxu « a a « ) •o - a 4J 0 ) a u a j d U *H a M •w a i {X M (X 0 « P m d 4 1 *§ 4 1 XI d •H U 0 ) 4J Xl I <-s CO O d a - h U - f l « H U M 91 a) a) d 0) u cu -h to •u 9 « » < d Q CO 9 0 ) CQ r - 4 I - I X I ' . ' A I o) d i d a) u t d -u d a 0 n« h a *h *o «i x to d Jd 0 1 « a > X I 0 4 < ! u o fs >» •o H H 4) « >% H X I P H (0 0 X I d u p d o a f-i a 41 •H Tt 9 to o X •H u O* to •9 41 4 - 1 d 4) O H > X 3 X U 4 1 a t 41 IX O C O SB U T3 ai to a U j SECTION I {Securing Employees 5 4 3 2 1 C F O S N Ce Cl 1. Recruitment ! 2. Appraisal ! 3. Selection 4. Assignment 5. SECTION II Retention, Dismissal 5 4 3 2 1 C F 0 S N Ce Cl Orientation 7. In-service Training 8. Evaluation 9. Transfers 10. Promotions 11. Terminations 12. Discipline 13. SECTION III Records and Reports 5 4 3 2 1 C F 0 S N Ce Cl 14. Personnel Records 15. Checking Credentials 16. Retirement List 17. Personnel Correspondence 536 {Possible personnel I functions being I performed | (Please add additional functions performed by your school district in blank space at end of each section) ! i i 5 4 3 2 1 C F O S N Ce Cl |L8. Records of Assignments 19. Employee Contracts feo. Employee Handbooks ?!• SECTION IV Administrative Functions 5 4 3 2 1 C F 0 S N Ce Cl 22. Personnel Policies 23. Salary Schedules and Adjustments 24. Personnel Budget 25. Personnel Office Structure 26. Job Descriptions 27 • Approval of Leaves and Vacations 28. Administrative Statistics 29. Local-county-state Personnel Records : 30. Public Relations 31. Administrator re sponsible for the personnel function Extent of attention given Function performed for >. 4 J 3 P-4J a i a a at •o • > 9 u at 9 u a t 3 U *4 a M i-i at Di n o< 9 q 9 to 4 - 1 a a t TJ a a t 4J a i - t n a t i 9 < n •H 0 0 M a t a t 9 CL 1 - 4 9 a t CO 9 ca 4J'-' a a t *j 4 J a a a t •h*o a 9 q a t < 4J 4J o o a t o o at •o at 1 — 4 at i — 4 a ► , r — 4 4 - 4 •d 04 9 r - 4 a) a) Q > 1 O 4 - 4 9 u ♦H 1 9 3 O B •H 0 8 3 at i-t >« •rl u •H 9 0 B o u • r l a at 4J O* 9 •o at 4J m ja 9 at O rH > M < 0 4J O 3 *4 U o at CO £ 3 i— 4 o 557 Administrator re sponsible for the personnel function Extent of attention given Personnel function for Possible personnel functions being performed (Please add additional functions performed by your school district in blank space at end of each section) >» u d •y d a) d a ) a o > •o *o a * d 9 1 U 9 1 •u d d c d d •H 4J *H x nh 4 ) i - l 0 ) a n a dad oi < co u O u o a i d a *4 a u a> a d a > * r 4 a dad a co d o » PQ i —9 H 9JW4, 0 1 d I § d y i u d a o as x C O T3 O ha0.fi o ) a o ) 4 J fe <i 4J o >1 H 1 - 9 a 1 —9 d t- 4 d o 4J d d d o a d a ) •H 1-9 d a o u 4J er d •d 0 ) d 4 ) a i —9 > 3 h i 1 X 4 o o < U CO 55 •d a > ■U d o •H > 9 - 1 • H 4J M 8 TJ a > a a d SECTION V Employee Welfare 5 4 3 2 1 C F 0 S N Ce Cl 32. Health-Safety Program 33. Employee Leave Policies 34. . Employee Morale 35. Grievances, Counseling 36. Retirement Plan 37. Group Insurance 38. Recreational Activities 39. Housing Service 40. SECTION VI Other Functions (Please list) 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. Comments and suggestions: APPENDIX C FINAL QUESTIONNAIRE, AND LETTERS CULVER CITY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION BUILDING Dear Superintendent: Mr. Jay D. Mack is making a professional study of "The Functions Performed by Personnel Administrators in Selected California School Districts." The Southern California Association of School Personnel Administrators of vhich the undersigned is currently president is sponsoring this study "because we believe the results id. 11 be of significant value in promoting improved school personnel operations. l i e hope you mil extend your full cooperation to Mr. Mack in order that this project may be success fully completed for our mutual benefit. Very truly yours, SOUTHERN CALIFORI'IIA ASSOCIATION SCHOOL PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATORS 4034 IR V IN G PL A C E C U L V E R C IT Y . C A L IFO R N IA Louis- A. JLallman, President FUNCTIONS PERFORMED BY PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATORS IN SELECTED CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS The concern of th is study is to determine the various personnel functions performed at the DISTRICT L E V E L for public school personnel. The study is also concerned w ith what functions SHOULD BE performed at the DISTRICT L E V E L o f p ub lic schools in the State of C alifornia. In furnishing the fo llow ing information, data should be restricted to grades K -12; th is includes Continuation School, but excludes A d ult Education and Junior C ollege. Information received w ill be kept in s tric t confidence. Names of individual school d is tric ts w ill not be used. Persons particip a ting in this study w ill be furnished a copy of the results o f the questionnaire. M A IL T O : JA Y D. MACK, Inglewood High School, Inglewood U nified School D istrict, 231 South G revillea, Inglewood, C alif. PART I IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS A . Name of school d is tr ic t:___________________________________________________________________________ A. B. Name o f respondent: ______________________________________________________________________________ B. C. Type of school d is tric t: 1. U nified: 1. 2. D is tric ts w ith common adm inistration: : ________________________ 2. D. Size o f school d is tric t: ( 1957-58 school year) 3. Number of students: ( Enrollm ent, K -1 2 ) ......................................... 3. 4. Number of a ll d is tric t employees: a. Number of ce rtifica te d employees: .............................................. a. b. Number o f c la ssifie d employees: b. PART II THE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR A. Which adm inistrative position is d ire c tly responsible for personnel adm inistration at the d is tric t level? __________________________________________________________________________ A. 1. Which adm inistrative position do you think should be responsible for personnel adm inistration at the d is tric t level? 1. B. What is his o ffic ia l title ? _________________________________________________________________________ B. 2. What do you think his title should be? __________________________________________________________ 2. C. Which d is tric t adm inistrative position is responsible for: 3. C ertificated employees: _______________________________________________________________________ 3. 4. C lassified employees: 4. D. Which adm inistrator do you think should be responsible for: 5. C ertificated employees: ________________________________________________________________________ 5. 6. C lassified employees: 6. E. A t what size, in terms of enrollm ent, did your school d is tric t central o ffic e have need for a: 7. Part-tim e ( less than h alf-tim e ) personnel adm inistrator ...................... 7. 8. Approxim ately half-tim e personnel adm inistrator ................................. 8* 9. F ull-tim e personnel adm inistrator ............................................... 9. F. A t what size, in terms o f enrollment, do you think your school district central office should add or should have added a personnel adm inistrator? 10. Part-tim e ( less than half-tim e) personnel adm inistrator .................. 10. 11. Approxim ately half-tim e personnel adm inistrator ............................... 11. 12. F ull-tim e personnel adm inistrator ......................................................... 12. G. What factors influenced your school d is tric t in providing for a personnel adm inistrator? (Exam ples: Growth, School law, e tc .) _________________________________________________________________________________________ G. H. What factors do you think should be considered by your school d is tric t in th is decision? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ H. I. Approxim ately what percentage of the personnel a dm in istrato rs'a nd business managers' tim e is a llotte d s p e c ific a lly to: ( Both to ta ls should be 100% and represent ONLY the tim e in personnel a dm in istration.) P E R S O N N E L B U S IN E S S A D M I N I S T R A T O R M A N A G E R 13. C ertificated employees 13. 14. C la ssifie d employees — . - 14. T O T A L 100% 100% J. Approxim ately what percentage of time do you think should be allo tte d to: (Both to tals should be 100% and represent ONLY the tim e in personnel a dm in istratio n.) P E R S O N N E L B U S IN E S S A D M I N I S T R A T O R M A N A G E R 15. C ertificated employees 15. 16. C la ssifie d employees = : —— ■ = 1 6 . T O T A L 100% 100% K. If your personnel adm inistrator performs on less than a fu ll-tim e basis, what other areas of adm inistrative re sp o n sib ility are assigned to him? (Examples: P ublic R elations, Special Services, e tc .) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________K. L . What areas of adm inistrative resp on sibility do you think COMBINE BEST w ith the personnel position in a school d is tric t your size? (Exam ples: P ublic R elations, Special Services, Instruction, e tc .) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________L. PART III THE DISTRICT PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT A. To whom is the d is tric t department personnel adm inistrator d ire ctly responsible? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________A. 1. For a school d is tric t your size, to whom do you think he should be responsible? 1 . B. Which d is tric t departm ent em ployees (c e rtific a te d and c la s s ifie d ) are responsi b le to the personnel - 2 - adm inistrator in relation to personnel resp on sibilitie s? C ertificated employees: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C lassified Employees: B. 2. Which d is tric t department employees (c e rtific a te d and c la s s ifie d ) should be responsible to the person nel adm inistrator in relation to personnel resp on sibilitie s? C ertificated employees: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C lassified employees: . ---------- 2. (Please check one) Does the person or persons having personnel adm inistrative responsibilities at the d is tric t level, have line a u th o rity_________ , advisory re la tio n s h ip __________, or b o th __________ . C. 3. In what areas does he have line authority at the d is tric t level? (Exam ples: Personnel Budget, Person nel P o licie s, Placement and T ra n sfe rs). 3. 4. 4. In what areas do you think he should have line authority at the d is tric t level? 5. In what areas does he have advisory resp on sibility at the d is tric t level? (Exam ples: In-Service Training, Assignm ent, Instruction, e tc .) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. 6. In what areas do you think he should have advisory re sp o n sib ility at the d is tric t level? What is the line and advisory (staff) relationship between the personnel adm inistrator and the fo llo w in g POSITIONS a t the d is tric t level? (Please indicate the relationship by checking a, b, c, or d .) a a Line relationship c = Both line and advisory relationship b : Advisory (staff) relationship d = No such position e xists 7. Deputy or A ssista nt Superintendent in Charge of Business: a._____ b ._____ c ._____ d ._____ 7. 8. Deputy or A ssista nt Superintendent in Charge of Instruction: a . b . c . d. 8. 9. School P rincip als ............................................................................... a ,______ b ._____ c ._____ d ._____ 9. 10. Name other d is tric t positions: _____________________________________________________________________ (please check relationship) a b c d 10 JL-.—What do - you-tfvink-SHO U LD BE -the r elat i onsh ip •fae1ween the~peryonnel q tlm iftfs tf< rt^ -a n d -» h e — fo llo w in g POSITIONS at the d is tric t level? (Please indicate the relationship by checking a, b, c, or d.) a = L in e relationship c = Both line and advisory relationship b = A dvisory (staff) relationship d = No such position e xists 11. Deputy or A ssista n t Superintendent in Charge of Business: a. b. c. d. 11. 12. Deputy or A ssista n t Superintendent in Charge of Instruction: a. b. c .___ d. 12. 13. School P rincipals ............................................................................... a. I d , Nnrnn othnr r lis tr io t p o s itio n s ; b. . c .... . d. 13. (please check relationship) b. c. d. 14. Are the functions o f the personnel adm inistrator in w riting? Y e s N o , If yes, where?_____________________________________________________________ F. Do you think the functions of the personnel adm inistrator should be specified in w riting? Y e s N o , If yes, w here?----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G. H. How many employees are in your d is tric t personnel department, if such a department exists? ( I f an em ployee works only half-tim e on personnel matters, count that employee one-half or any other proper fraction as the case may b e .) 15. No such department exists: .......................................................................... 15. 16. Number o f ce rtifica ted employees: ........................................................... 16. 17. Number o f cla ssifie d employees: ............................................................. 17. I. If a d is tric t personnel department exists, how many employees do you think should be in a school d is tric t central department your size? 18. Number o f ce rtifica ted employees: ........................................................... 18. 19. Number o f cla ssifie d employees: ............................................................. 19. J . Should a school d is tric t your size (enrollment) have a separate personnel department? Y e s N o J . K. Why did a separate d is tric t personnel department evolve in your d is tric t? (Examples: Adopted by Board of Education, increased personnel problems, etc.) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ K. L . Which of the follow ing BEST describes your personnel organization at the school d is tric t level? ( Please check one.) 20. The personnel functions are handled e xclu sive ly by the Superintendent. There is no separate personnel adm inistrator as such. ........................................................... 20. 21. There is a separate personnel adm inistrator employed part of his total time on personnel functions. Approxim ately what part o f his to ta l time is devoted to personnel? a. one-fourth ( 20% - 39% ) .................................................................................................... 21a. b. half-tim e ( 40% — 59% ) .................................................................................................... 21b. c. three-fourths ( 60% — 79% ) .................................................................................................... 21c. d. almost fu ll-tim e ( 80% - 95% ) .................................................................................................... ............. 2 Id. 22. There is a fu ll-tim e personnel adm inistrator who may or may not have subordinate em ployees..................................................................................................................................................... 22. 23. The personnel functions are handled jo in tly by: a. Superintendent and Personnel Adm inistrator ............................................................................ 23a. b. Superintendent and Business Manager ......................................................................................... 23b. c. Business Manager and Personnel A d m in is tra to r........................................................................ 23c. d. Superintendent -and-Depruty-eF-At&s+s+afvt-Su per4«tende nt- .............• = 23 d. e. Other com binations:............................................................................................................................. 23e. 24. There is a fu ll-tim e personnel adm inistrator, bringing together in a major department all groups concerned w ith personnel functions. Several subordinate ce rtifica ted and c la s s i fied employees are assigned to the department. ............................................................................. 24. 25. Please describe your own personnel o rg a n iz a tio n if the above statem ents do not adequately give a description of your d is tric t. _____________________________________________________ : _______________________________________________ 25. M. Which of the above descriptions do you think would be the BEST type of personnel organi zation for your school d istrict? ( Please give one of the above numbers. Ex. 20 or 2 3 b . ) _________M. - 4 - PART IV ADMINISTRATORS RESPONSIBLE FOR PERFORMING PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS AND THE E X T E N T OF A T TE N TIO N GIVEN TO THESE FUNCTIONS AT THE DISTRICT L E V E L Directions for Part IV P le a se p la ce an ( E ), ( R ) or ( ER ) in the a p p ro p ria te square o p p o s ite the p erson ne l fu n c tio n s g ive n below . ( E ) In d ic a te s your existing p ra c tic e ( R ) In d ic a te s your recommended p ra c tic e (ER) In the same square in d ic a te s th a t you are recommending your existing p ra c tic e SAMPLE SECTION I P ossible personnel functions being performed. A dm inistrator responsible for performing various personnel functions. (T h es e title s w ill N O T necessarily be your o fficial title s .) E xtent of attention given to personnel functions by district level administrators. P l e a s e a d d a d d i t i o n a l functions performed by your school d is tric t in the blank spaces provided in the last section. 5 = S U P E R IN T E N D E N T 4 = A S S IS T A N T OR D E P U T Y S U P E R IN T E N D E N T 3 = P E R S O N N E L D IR E C T O R OR S IM IL A R P O S IT IO N 2= A S S'T. S U P E R IN T E N D E N T O F BUSINESS SER V IC E S 1 = O T H E R S , P L E A S E L IS T C - C O N T IN U O U S L Y F - F R E Q U E N T L Y 0 - O C C A S IO N A L L Y S - S E L D O M N - N E V E R SECTION 1 Securing Employees 5 4 3 2 1 C F 0 s N 1. Recruitment, appraisal, and selection Certificated ER ER Classified R E - PRINCIPALS ER 7 '. f l i n m — t Cert**' E X P L A N A TIO N OF SAMPLE FOR SECTION I: L R e cru itm e n t, a p p ra isa l and s e le c tio n fo r Certificated p erson ne l: The m arks in d ic a te ( 3 ) th a t the P e rso n n e l D ire c to r or s im ila r p o s itio n at p re se n t does the re c ru it ment, a p p ra is a l, and s e le c tio n , and ( ER ) th a t you recommend th is p ra c tic e be c o n tin u e d for a d is tr ic t of your e n ro llm e n t. ( ER ) under ( C ) in d ic a te s th is p ra c tic e is a C O N T IN U O U S fu n c tio n and th a t you recomm end th a t it be a co n tin u o u s fu n c tio n . 1. Classified p erson ne l: The ( E ) in d ic a te s your e x is tin g p ra c tic e s a llo w the p rin c ip a ls to perform these fu n c tio n s and ( R ) in d ic a te s you recommend the fu n c tio n be perform ed by ( 3 ) a P e rso n n e l A d m in is tra to r or s im ila r p o s itio n . ( ER ) under ( F ) in d ic a te s th is is a fu n c tio n perform ed F R E Q U E N T L Y , th is being your e x is tin g and recomm ended p ra c tic e fo r a s c h o o l d is tr ic t o f your e n ro llm e n t. - 5 - P ossible personnel functions being performed. A dm inistrator responsible for performing various personnel functions. (T h es e title s w ill N O T necessarily be your o fficial title s .) Extent of attention given to personnel functions by district level administrators. P l e a s e a d d a d d i t i o n a l functions performed by your school d istrict in the blank spaces provided in the last section. 5= S U P E R IN T E N D E N T 4= A S S IS TA N T OR D E P U T Y S U P E R IN T E N D E N T 3 = P E R S O N N E L D IR E C T O R OR S IM IL A R P O S IT IO N 2= A S S'T. S U P E R IN T E N D E N T O F BUSINESS SER VIC ES 1 = O T H E R S , P L E A S E L IS T C - C O N T IN U O U S L Y F - F R E Q U E N T L Y 0 - O C C A S IO N A L L Y S - S E L D O M N - N E V E R S E C T I O N 1 Securing Employees 5 4 3 2 1 C F 0 s N 1. Recruitment, appraisal, and selection Certificated Classified 2. Assignment and transfer Certificated Classified S E C T I O N I I Retention & Dismissal of Employees 3. Orientation, in-service, and training Certificated Classified 4. Evaluation, promo tions, terminations, and discipline Certificated Classified S E C T I O N I I I Records and Reports 5. Personnel records Certificated Classified 6. Employee handbooks Certificated Classified S E C T I O N I V Administrative Functions 7. Formulates personnel policies Certificated Classified 8. Salary schedule Certificated Classified 9. Prepares job and position descriptions Certificated Classified 10, Administers leaves Certificated Classified S E C T I O N V Employee Welfare 11. Responsible for employee moral Certificated Classified 12. Administers retirement program Certificated Classified 13. Plans group Insurance Arranges recreation activities Coordinates health and safety program Provides housing service Certificated Classified S E C T I O N V I Please list other functions performed by your district 14. Certificated Classified 15. Certificated Classified - 6 - THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND COOPERATION use this space to make any comments about this survey you may desire 540 (Letterhead of) INGLEWOOD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 111 No. Grevillea Ave. Inglewood 1, California March 14, 1958 Dr. Fred H. Heisner Redlands Joint Union High School District 750 East Citrus Avenue Redlands, California Dear Dr. Heisner: The Inglewood Unified School District is vitally inter ested in the personnel functions performed at the district level. Mr. Jay D. Mack, one of our,district employees, is making a survey in this area. We believe that the results will be valuable to us in the improvement of our personnel de partment and that this study may be of interest and help to other districts. We should, therefore, like to request your cooperation. You will note that the study is en dorsed by the Southern California Association of School Personnel Administrators. The questionnaire is to be sent to thirty-three selected Unified and Common Administration Districts in California so it is important that Mr. Mack receive returns from all districts. The time required to complete the survey will be approximately twenty-five minutes. Please return the completed survey in the enclosed self- addressed envelope. 541 A summary of the findings will be sent to you upon comple tion of the study. Thank you for whatever cooperation you may care to give to this project. Sincerely yours, (Signed) H. T. Santee Superintendent of Schools HTS/bg Enclosures 2 542 (Letterhead of) INGLEWOOD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 111 No. Grevillea Ave. Inglewood 1, California April 18, 1958 Mr. Paul E. Crabb Vallejo Unified School District 111 Idaho Street Vallejo, California Dear Mr. Crabb: About a month ago under the sponsorship of the Southern California Association of School Personnel Administrators, we sent you a questionnaire concerning the functions of personnel administrators or the administrator who handles the personnel functions in your district. The response has been most gratifying and it appears that a significant report can be made. We are anxious, however, that this study be as complete as possible. We have been disappointed, therefore, in not receiving your completed questionnaire. We are enclosing an additional copy, hoping that you will find time to complete it in the near future. Thank you very much for your cooperation. Sincerely yours, (Signed) Jay D. Mack JDM/bg Enclosure 545 May 20, 1958 Mr. Clarence Burrell, Superintendent San Leandro Unified School District 451 West Joaquin Avenue San Leandro, California Dear Mr. Burrell: About a month ago under the sponsorship of the Southern California Association of School Personnel Administra tors, we sent you a questionnaire concerning personnel functions. We have been disappointed in not receiving your completed questionnaire. It is important to receive as many returns as possible since we are working with such a small number of dis tricts. For a district your size we realize that you probably do not have a personnel administrator or person nel department as such. Your personnel functions are probably performed by you or an Assistant Superintendent. If the questionnaire would be answered in that light it would be easier. We are enclosing an additional copy, hoping that you will find time to complete it in the near future. A summary of the findings will be sent to you upon com pletion of the study. Thank you very much for your co operation. Sincerely yours, (Signed) Jay D. Mack JDM/bg Enel: 2

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Creator Mack, Jay David (author)

Core Title The Organization Of District-Level Personnel Functions In Selected California School Districts

Contributor Digitized by ProQuest (provenance)

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag education, administration,OAI-PMH Harvest

Language English

Advisor LaFranchi, Edward H. (committee chair), Carnes, Earl F. (committee member), Lefever, David Welty (committee member)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c18-68322

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Legacy Identifier 6002780.pdf

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Document Type Dissertation

Rights Mack, Jay David

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Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the au...

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Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA