This is the latest report in the State of the Superintendent series, an annual report intended to provide a reliable, recurring snapshot of the U.S. public school superintendency. Since the American School District Panel began in fall 2020, researchers have periodically surveyed superintendents about their job, focusing on job-related stressors,…

In the United States, Black women rarely serve as superintendents. Historically, White males have monopolized executive leadership roles in education, and the trend data remains consistent to present times. Given these patterns, we have constructed our knowledge of the superintendency from a White male perspective. Consequently, this singular…

This practitioner brief is one in a series highlighting concrete ways that education leaders can increase educational equity by building supportive learning environments that meet all students' social and emotional needs. The introductory brief to this series suggests that changes at three levels of the education system are needed to promote…

This case study is a narrative of four major leadership paradigms: managerial, transactional, transformational, and distributed leaderships. Understanding these leadership styles may help both practicing and prospective school leaders navigate better in the complex, dynamic, murky, and challenging waters of educational leadership. Furthermore,…

California has embarked on a major new wave of curriculum reform with the adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the new English Language Development (ELD) standards, and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The adoption of the CCSS builds a legacy of standards-based education reform in California that began with the…

The math problem is common to most U.S. school districts, and education leaders are well aware that U.S. math achievement lags far behind many other countries in the world. University Place (Washington) School District Superintendent Patti Banks found the conspicuous income gap for math scores even more disturbing. In her school district, only 23%…

Most published research on the superintendency has failed to examine the voices of female superintendents. Today, white males make up approximately 85% of superintendents, rendering female responses to the superintendency almost non-existent. This study, commissioned by the American Association of School Administrators, provides a historical…

This book is written by two successful school principals that have provided practical lessons and activities that will build the leadership capacity of anyone who reads it. Included in this book are ways to increase collaboration with reciprocal benefits for leaders and followers and ways to develop and sustain top performance in leadership.…

Counsels new superintendents to assess staff strengths and deficiencies before devising a plan that uses everyone's talents (even those of "turkey" principals) to fullest advantage. Strong communication and supervisory skills and firm administrative policies are essential to target weak performers and determine when transfers or dismissals might…

Investigated burnout levels and coping strategies of 162 superintendents of public residential facilities for mentally retarded persons. Results indicated that mean overall burnout scores tended to be lower than those reported for other human service employees. Superintendents tended to favor direct/active strategies for coping with stressors.…

Lists superintendent characteristics boards of education most often specified as desirable and suggests behavioral patterns that will help develop the four qualities most sought by boards. (IRT)

Based on a 40-year-old superintendent's experience in an Ohio school district, this article examines 5 prevalent myths regarding job demands and priorities, teacher morale, new program implementation, and the need to study the whole picture. Successful superintendents build on previous experience by remaining accessible, being good listeners, and…

Advises superintendents to increase school visibility by writing a weekly newspaper column that communicates important school information, discusses school issues, recognizes educators' outstanding accomplishments, corrects false impressions or misinformation, and presents the human side of schooling. Several tips are provided for planning,…

To ease the pain of closing two delapidated high schools, the East Chicago (Indiana) City Schools threw a gala alumni farewell party. To organize a similar event, superintendents should galvanize staff, win the school board's support, publicize the event, involve the community, use incentives to boost attendance, encourage creativity, and keep a…

Although years of research have not identified what guarantees a successful superintendent, the best indicators are skills dealing with others and knowing how to select good personnel. (MLF)