How Do the Functions That School Business Officials Perform Affect Teaching and Learning, and Do School Business Officials Take These Effects into Account in Performing Their Work

The purpose of this study is to investigate the work that school business leaders perform in four different school districts in New York State, and to find what the impact of this work is on instruction. The research is titled, "How Do the Functions That School Business Officials Perform Affect Teaching and Learning, and Do School Business Officials Take These Effects Into Account in Performing Their Work? The method of study is a comparative case study. It requires that the researcher collect data by reviewing documents of the school districts, interviewing district personnel, and by observation of the district's practices and surroundings. Data gathered by using these three processes, looks for trends that can be evidenced by using the process of triangulation. This is a standard practice when using case study methodology, and seeks to use three pieces of evidence to provide credibility for the findings. The research looks to determine if the functions performed by the school business official impact learning, and if so, in what way. Does the school business official perform their work with the intention of maximizing their impact on teaching and learning? The conclusions of this study reveal that little study has occurred on this topic, that most people do not know what the school business official does, that there are 5 areas of responsibility under the business official that do have an impact on learning, and that the school business officials studied do not often approach their work with the intention of impacting learning. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]