| This dissertation uses sequential mixed methods analysis to examine what characteristics principals seek when hiring teachers and whether they match the perceived characteristics of the teachers who were recommended for hire. The sample included 56 principals on the initial survey and 34 principals responded to the questionnaire. Data analysis included descriptive statistics to determine the district's profile, qualitative analysis to look for themes and patterns of open-ended questions, and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine the relationship between the grade band profiles. The characteristic profile for the school system in the study includes the following: the candidate's ability to provide a positive role model, the candidate's enthusiasm for teaching, the candidate's ability to raise student test scores, and the candidate's classroom management skills. The essential problem in the characteristic profile is that there is not a true method of how principals are able to determine the candidate's ability to raise test scores, specifically novice teachers. The comparison of the pre-recommendation surveys and the post-recommendation surveys reveal that although principals were able to recommend teachers for their preferred characteristics, the candidate's ability to raise student test scores was rated the characteristic that was least observed in the recommended teachers. The results of the pre- and post-recommendation surveys lead to the need to develop a questionnaire to examine the hiring process of the district. |
