0.16 Surface, j. (october 2011). assessing edad candidates' leadership  (Page 5/7)

Turbulence theory helps administrators understand the behavior of people facing organizational challenges and those facing ethical dilemmas in the midst of busy organizational lives. Administrators need to take time to deeply reflect in a systematic fashion and take into account the emotional context of decision making. Turbulence theory helps administrators understand the degree of turbulence involved in the dilemma. Light turbulence is associated with ongoing issues, little or no disruption in normal work environment, subtle signs of stress. Moderate turbulence is associated with widespread awareness of an issue. Severe turbulence is involved when there is fear for the entire enterprise, the possibility of large-scale community demonstrations and a feeling of crisis. Extreme turbulence is occurring when structural damage to the institutions’ normal operation is occurring. Embedded throughout the coursework, the theory of change offers students an understanding of the turbulence that they will face in their schools. Discussion of the theory of turbulence helps them dissect the disruptions that school leaders can face during school or community crisis.

Putting the five theories together would involve first considering the level of turbulence involved in the dilemma, thinking through the remaining four ethics and then considering how the action would affect the turbulence level. The themes are not incompatible. In fact, they enhance and complement each other.

Students have learned about ethics and ethical decision making throughout their coursework. Their dispositions are influenced by the experiences that they have had in their coursework and by the foundations that we set into action by their families of origin. It is important to study the efficacy of our program in addressing standards and dispositions related to ethics.

This study examines the growth of standards and dispositions by a pretest/posttest comparison of Administrator Disposition Index scores and Standards related to Ethics.

Disposition Item 17: I am committed to the ethical principles of decision making and ISLLC Standard 5: Acts fairly, with integrity, and with an ethical manner; and

• Sub-standard 5.1: I demonstrate a respect for the rights’ of others with regard to confidentiality and dignity and engage in honest interactions;
• Sub-standard 5.2: I demonstrate the ability to combine impartiality, sensitivity to student diversity, and ethical considerations in their interactions with others; and
• Sub-standard 5.3: I make and explain decisions based upon ethical and legal principles. In addition to the growth of standards and dispositions, a test was administered to determine the difference between the growth in the standards and the growth in the dispositions.

Methodology

Participants were 135 candidates completing a Masters/Endorsement program in Educational Administration and Supervision at the University of Nebraska. The data were collected during their first course at UNO, Introduction to Educational Administration and at the end of their program during the semester when they are taking the Practicum in Educational Administration. The Administrator Dispositions Index (ADI) was developed by aligning the items of the ADI with the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards, is a 36 item survey containing a 17 item student centered subscale and a 19 item community centered subscale. The ADI has been validated and utilized to assess development of positive dispositions in candidates seeking an administrative endorsement (Schulte&Kowal, 2005). The candidates rate themselves on each disposition on a 5-point scale ranging from “1”, strongly disagree to “5” Strongly agree.