Differences in Assessments of Organizational School Climate Between Teachers and Administrators

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the organizational school climate perceptions of teachers and principals and to ascertain the extent to which their perceptions differed. This causal comparative study used the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire for Elementary Schools (OCDQ-RE) as the survey instrument for data collection. The OCDQ-RE was administered to 244 teachers and 11 administrators in four north Georgia elementary schools. The mean scores of the teachers and administrators were compared. The results indicated relationship the organizational school climate perceptions of teachers and administrators in only one of the four schools were alike. Administrators in each of the four schools had a more positive perception about their school's organizational school climate than did the teachers. These findings have implications for schools and their administrators, as well as superintendents. To gain an accurate portrayal of a school's organizational climate, it is not enough to elicit the perceptions of just the administrators; the teachers must also be questioned for their perceptions of the climate.