Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of Senate Bill 620 (school-linked health and social services) on the traditional role and responsibilities of the principal. The study examined the impact of SB620 on California school principals in the areas of (1) decision making in curriculum, school/community relations, evaluation of personnel, and management of other programs, (2) time on task in the same categories, (3) changes in functions of counseling, disciplinarian and financial manager, and (4) the differences between impact on single grant principals and cluster grant principals. Methodology. Data were collected from 82 schools involved in SB620 for at least two years by means of a twenty-seven item questionnaire. A response rate of 74 percent was achieved from eighty-two urban California school sites. The responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, a dependent t-test, and two tests of proportion. Findings and conclusions. The results of the study establish that the tasks taking the most time were forming relationships with outside agencies and committee work. Both groups indicated the impact of SB620 on the principal's supervision duties. As a result of SB620 the tasks delegated the most to subordinates were discipline and managing other programs. The test of proportion indicated a significant difference between the single-grant principals and the cluster-grant principals in the areas of time spent on budget, decision making, student discipline, community relations, managing other programs and working with students. The test of proportion also determined five tasks delegated to subordinates which were significantly different in the single-grant principal group and the cluster-grant principal group: (1) working with parents, (2) working with students, (3) community relations, (4) supervision of instruction and (5) managing other programs. The Kolomogorov-Smirnov indicated the one significant difference between the two principal groups was forming relationships with outside agencies. The dependent t indicated no significant difference between the two principal groups in the impact of SB620 on classroom visitations. It is recommended that districts support SB620 initiatives at local sites with additional professional development for administrators as the school expands to include health and social services.