DOI

https://doi.org/10.25772/CMVR-DR37

Defense Date

1988

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Education

First Advisor

Charels C. Sharman

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to: (a) determine the perceptions of Virginia public school division superintendents regarding key elements of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA); (b) determine the relationship between the perceptions of the superintendents regarding the VPPA and selected demographic variables; (c) determine the superintendents’ perceived strengths and weaknesses of the VPPA; and (d) determine changes that the superintendents feel should be made in the VPPA.

Data utilized in the study were derived from a survey instrument (Superintendents’ Perception Survey on the Virginia Public Procurement Act). Participants included all 134 division superintendents in Virginia. Data were reported by means, standard deviations, percentages, and correlation coefficients.

Major findings of the study were:

1. Superintendents agreed that the VPPA has increased competitive procedures, increased the time spent on purchasing, improved cost effectiveness, increased the amount of time needed to write specifications, improved purchasing ethics, and increased the potential for litigation against the school division.

2. Superintendents agreed that school division purchasing procedures were adequate before the VPPA and that purchasing codes and procedures should be left to local school divisions.

3. Superintendents disagreed that the VPPA has improved the quality of goods and services, improved the meeting of delivery deadlines, increased the number of awards to sole-source vendors, and increased the number of awards to local vendors.

4. Superintendents disagreed that adequate training has been provided to comply with the VPPA.

5. Significant relationships were found between superintendents' perceptions of the VPPA and division size, experience as a superintendent, purchasing experience, division classification (rural or urban), and computerized purchasing systems.

6. No significant relationships were found between superintendents’ perceptions of the VPPA and age and race.

7. Superintendents identified increased competition as the major strength of the VPPA, being too time consuming as the major weakness, and make no changes in the VPPA as the major recommendation.

Comments

Scanned, with permission from the author, from the original print version, which resides in University Archives.

Rights

© The Author

Is Part Of

VCU University Archives

Is Part Of

VCU Theses and Dissertations

Date of Submission

1-23-2018

Included in

Education Commons

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