Principal and Superintendent Perceptions on Therapy Dogs as an Intervention Tool in Pennsylvania Public Schools

Therapy dogs are a valuable tool for students in the school system. The literature indicates therapy dogs are a supportive tool, from the perspective of teachers, students, parents, counselors, and the community, for mental health, social and emotional and academic needs. Research has provided evidence that principals and superintendents have the largest influence on strengthening existing practices and creating educational change which makes them key facilitators in the implementation of therapy dog programs within school districts. For this reason, the perception of principals and superintendents regarding how therapy dogs are being used in Pennsylvania public schools and their effectiveness was examined. Data was compiled and reported for each question on the survey tool to test all three research questions and hypotheses using an Independent Samples t-Test and Mann Whitney U Test. Participants were Pennsylvania public school superintendents and principals; they completed a survey via Google Forms. The findings of this study suggested a need for greater transparency, education, and policy regarding the benefits of therapy dog programs. [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.]