Abstract
Problem and purpose. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to identify the perceptions of K–12 public school principals toward a teacher-focused, school-business partnership's professional development efforts regarding its impact on teacher behaviors in professional self-concept, integration of career education and technology, subject matter competency, and teacher leadership; and (2) to determine if a significant difference existed among perceptions of elementary, middle, and high school principals. Methodology. This study examined the Summer Fellowship Program sponsored by a collaborative called Industry Initiative for Science and Math Education (IISME). The population for this study involved eighty public school principals in K–12 levels throughout the seven counties in the northern part of California. The instrument used was an online survey called Zoomerang, which was developed on a four-point scale for each statement in the survey. The statements were behavior indicators developed by the California Standards for the Teaching Profession, a performance assessment developed for teachers. All responses were grouped in categories. In addition, the study looked for differences in perceptions among elementary, middle, and high school principals for which a Chi-Square test of significance was used. Findings. The perception from elementary, middle, and high school principals is very positive about IISME's Summer Fellowship Program. The perception is that, on average, the teachers made improvements in eight of the sixteen areas in the study after they participated with IISME. The information in this study is essential to IISME and its sponsors as their primary purpose is to insure that the Summer Fellowship contribute a positive experience filled with information, opportunities for improved skills, experiential learning, and ongoing connection with the industry. The high school principals perceived IISME to have a more positive effect than did the middle and elementary school principals. Recommendations. Recommendations from this study include: (1) Further research should study the factors contributing to the difference in perception of the value of IISME's Summer Fellowship Program by principals. (2) A study of the perception of education and business leaders on the factors that contribute to the success of industry-education partnerships related to teacher development.