Abstract
Purpose. The purposes of this study were: (1) to compare the desired organizational career development benefits for educational administrators in assessor training and service in the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Partnership Academy Assessment Center (PAAC) as perceived by superintendents with the individual benefits as perceived by assessors; and, (2) to compare the perceptions of assessors based on selected demographic elements. Methodology. The study used a descriptive research design with a survey research approach. The population included current PAAC assessors and superintendents from twelve districts in Orange and Los Angeles Counties. Questionnaires were developed and field tested to record the perceptions of the superintendents and assessors. A follow-up telephone interview of randomly selected assessors was used to obtain reactions to the questionnaire results. Descriptive statistics, the t test for independent samples, and the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze and compare the responses of superintendents and assessors. Findings. Superintendents rated the overall importance and the importance of all components of assessor training and service higher than assessors. Consensus techniques in assessor training was rated significantly higher. The components of assessor training and service that were perceived by superintendents and assessors to have the highest level of importance in career development were: renewal in the twelve skill dimensions, feedback skills, and behavior observation. Superintendents also perceived consensus techniques to have a high level of importance. Significant differences in the perceptions of the PAAC assessors were discovered in the background categories of age, gender, and ethnicity. Assessors in the forty and below age group, females, and non-Caucasian assessors perceived the greatest career development benefits from assessor training and service. Recommendations. Educational organizations and individuals should consider participating in assessor training and service for the career development benefits available. Individuals who would potentially receive the greatest benefit would be in the forty and below age group, females, and non-Caucasians.