The Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP Matrix): A study of organizational change principles applied to state -mandated school reform efforts

The present study examined a state mandated educational reform referred to as the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) Matrix that was initiated statewide during the 1997–1998 school year. The purpose of this study focused on how school personnel reported using the Matrix as well as their attitudes towards the Matrix. The location for this study was a small county in south central Florida. Participants were school personnel who routinely participate in Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings. This included 1048 individuals from the professions of ESE teachers, guidance counselors, school psychologists, speech/language pathologists, and staffing specialists.;Using a questionnaire format, school personnel rated how they used the Matrix. They also rated how much training they had received with the Matrix, how they perceived that training, and if they had participated in pilot study phases with the Matrix. School personnel attitudes towards the Matrix were assessed through an attitude section included in the questionnaire.;The findings indicated that reported use was positive across all professional groups, suggesting personnel believe they are using the Matrix appropriately. Their most favorable ratings related to understanding and completing initial Matrix paperwork while their least favorable ratings related to implementation and follow up of services. Attitudes were positive overall across all three FEFP Activities of staffings, completing a Matrix, and delivering services with the Matrix. The most favorable attitudes were reported for staffings while the least favorable attitudes were towards completing a Matrix. Findings also indicated that reported use was positively linked to reported attitudes suggesting that what these professionals report they do is linked to what they report feeling about what they do. The variables of inservice training and being a pilot school were positively related to both use and attitudes but the actual number of times in training and length of time as a pilot school had no relationship. Higher levels of pilot school participation were related to higher levels of appropriate use and more positive attitudes. Perceived usefulness of training was related to more positive attitudes but not to higher ratings of use.