Public school superintendents' perceptions of the role of the public school public relations director on the administrative team

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to determine differences in the perceptions of public school superintendents concerning the role and responsibilities of the public school public relations director on the administrative team. The population for this study consisted of public school superintendents whose public relations directors were members of the National School Public Relations Association, as listed in the 1982-83 NSPRA membership directory. The sample was made up of 152 randomly-selected members of the population. Of the 152 in the sample, 139 returned the questionnaire, and 125 provided usable responses. Data from the questionnaire were analyzed using the computer prorams DISTAT and ANOVAR, and a Scheffe's test was performed on selected data. Superintendents with public relations directors on the administrative team perceived the responsibilities of the public relations director substantially different from superintendents whose public relations directors were not on the team. There were 32 responsibilities ranked differently by the two groups, with superintendents whose public relations directors were on the team more often expecting their directors to have dealings with the board of education, to have input into every team topic of discussion, to take control of the district's public relations program, to serve as advisor to the superintendent, and to serve in an interpersonal PR instructional capacity for both community and school staff. Regardless of educational level, superintendency experience, or size of school district enrollment, superintendents with school public relations directors on the administrative team viewed the responsibilities of their public relations directors similarly. Superintendents with varying educational levels perceived only seven responsibilties differently. No responsibilities were affected by the size of the school district enrollment, and only one responsibility was viewed differently by superintendents with varying superintendency experience: that of having the public relations director on the administrative team conduct information programs for new citizens in the school district. Superintendents with public relations directors on the administrative team and school public relations directors on the administrative team were compared, and were found to view the role of the public relations director similarly. . . . (Author's abstract exceeds stipulated maximum length. Discontinued here with permission of author.) UMI