Purpose: The study aimed to explore the authority and power of kindergarten superintendents in public education to elucidate their leadership dynamics. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 Israeli kindergarten teachers about the authority and power of their superintendents. Thematic analysis was used to…

Education has historically been dominated by women, while those in leadership positions are male. Women are acutely underrepresented in the top position in public school districts across the nation. There is consistent evidence supporting that women often encounter both explicit and implicit barriers hindering their trajectory and growth to a…

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted P-12 public schools in the United States. School district superintendents were forced immediately into managing a crisis and leading organizational adaptation. This doctoral research study examined the lived experience of 15 New York State P-12 public school superintendents. This constructivist grounded theory study…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the understanding of possible reasons for a large gender gap in the number of men and women serving as PK-12 public school district superintendents in Iowa in 2022-2023. This study provided information on the career path experiences of female superintendents compared to male superintendents…

The purpose of this study was to examine enrollment management needs and potential processes in traditional public preschool through 12th grade school districts. This study allowed school districts to examine their own individual unique enrollment management needs and potential processes for moving forward in making equitable decisions for all…

More than sixty years after "Brown v. Board of Education," racial and economic segregation in American schools is deepening. At the same time, dynamic racial and economic change in cities and suburbs offers new opportunities for intentional school integration. School leaders are an integral part of those opportunities. We draw on the…

The prevalence of educator shortages has long been a topic of research and policy discussions in Illinois. Across multiple years, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS) have collected data and reported on the magnitude, severity, and impact of shortages statewide. Prior…

This paper presents a qualitative study of the interactions between public kindergarten teachers and their superintendents, using the symbolic interaction theoretical framework. The purpose of the study was to gain insight into the meaning-making processes and social dynamics that occur in these interactions, specifically monitoring ones. The…

Purpose: It was the purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study to identify and describe the leadership strategies that exemplary K-12 unified superintendents in Orange and Los Angeles counties in Southern California use to create an organizational culture of inclusiveness using Kennedy's (2008) 5 leadership qualities of cultural…

The problem explored in this study was principals' low self-efficacy, which negatively affected school outcomes and could lead principals to set weaker goals and be less resilient. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to identify strategies that principals believed would foster better self-efficacy. The theoretical framework…

This article describes a research-enriched, action-oriented plan for supporting educators in PreK-12 district-wide mentoring through online professional development inspired by Kram's model.

This report compiles the results of a survey of Maine superintendents and special education directors that was conducted in May of 2022. The purpose of the survey was to determine districts' awareness of ongoing policy conversations about transferring responsibility for preschool special education services from Child Development Services to School…

Mid-level roles in education have been widely explored, primarily in schools, but little research has been conducted during the systemic reform that involves creating a mid-level role between end units and the system. The present study explores the sense-making of early childhood leaders (ECLs) at the initial stage of their new role as mid-level…

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented evolving challenges for educational leaders. This study will explore the crisis management practices of PK-12 public school superintendents. Specifically, the team will consider effective resilience-building practices as a means for leaders to manage a prolonged crisis. A comparative case study was conducted to…

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented evolving challenges for educational leaders. This study will explore the crisis management practices of PK-12 public school superintendents. Specifically, the team will consider effective resilience-building practices as a means for leaders to manage a prolonged crisis. A comparative case study was conducted to…