The Study of the Communication System in Selected School Districts of the State of Iowa and the Design of a Model System for School Districts of More Than 4,000 Students
type: CreativeWork
description: The problem. Communication is probably management's most talked about issue. The destiny of any society, group, or individual is determined largely by the ability to communicate positively and successfully. Whether communication is concerned with matters of profound import or with the minutiae of everyday interpersonal exchanges the achieving of effective communication is one of the most severe problems facing man in his modern world. It is difficult to imagine any aspect of administrative work that does not involve communicating with others. Procedure. Through data gathered by the Iowa Center for Research in School Administration, The University of Iowa, and presented in the Financial Accounting Technique Report (Project FACT, 1973), twenty school districts with enrollments in excess of 4,000 students were identified and labeled as the sample group. A survey instrument was designed and validated. This survey instrument was then mailed to the Superintendents of Schools of the identified sample of school districts. This survey dealt with communication systems components involving the Board of Education, Administrative Relationships, District Employees, School Patrons and the Community, and Students. Concurrent with the survey, a review of current literature on the subject of communication was conducted, specifically dealing with (1) the definition of communication; (2) communication theory and models; and (3) communication methods. In addition, the presence or absence of legal requirements for internal and/or external communication for school districts in the State of Iowa was investigated. Findings. Evidence suggests that educational leaders in large school districts do not recognize the need and importance of communication to organizational effectiveness. The lack of a public relations specialist, budgetary allocation for communication, annual report to patrons, and effective use of media presently available to school districts substantiate this viewpoint. A compre…
abstract: The problem. Communication is probably management's most talked about issue. The destiny of any society, group, or individual is determined largely by the ability to communicate positively and successfully. Whether communication is concerned with matters of profound import or with the minutiae of everyday interpersonal exchanges the achieving of effective communication is one of the most severe problems facing man in his modern world. It is difficult to imagine any aspect of administrative work that does not involve communicating with others. Procedure. Through data gathered by the Iowa Center for Research in School Administration, The University of Iowa, and presented in the Financial Accounting Technique Report (Project FACT, 1973), twenty school districts with enrollments in excess of 4,000 students were identified and labeled as the sample group. A survey instrument was designed and validated. This survey instrument was then mailed to the Superintendents of Schools of the identified sample of school districts. This survey dealt with communication systems components involving the Board of Education, Administrative Relationships, District Employees, School Patrons and the Community, and Students. Concurrent with the survey, a review of current literature on the subject of communication was conducted, specifically dealing with (1) the definition of communication; (2) communication theory and models; and (3) communication methods. In addition, the presence or absence of legal requirements for internal and/or external communication for school districts in the State of Iowa was investigated. Findings. Evidence suggests that educational leaders in large school districts do not recognize the need and importance of communication to organizational effectiveness. The lack of a public relations specialist, budgetary allocation for communication, annual report to patrons, and effective use of media presently available to school districts substantiate this viewpoint. A compre…
author: Buchanan, Charles Douglas
language: en_US
keywords: School districts--Iowa--Communication systems, Communication and education--Iowa
date published: 1974-10
date modified: 2026-07-27T19:19:15Z
provider: Drake University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Drake University

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2092/1027