The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how executive coaches describe the strategies used with their public-school superintendent clients. The theoretical foundation of Positive Psychology, specifically PERMA+4, framed the questioning and brought context to the executive coach's decisions. The lack of research from the…

Public school superintendents face wide-ranging pressures and would benefit from improved understanding of ways to manage stress. This quantitative study used the theoretical framework of Transformational Leadership to investigate whether the presence or absence of faith practices resulted in better stress management for superintendents, and…

Public school superintendents have a unique dependency on the capacity of their local school boards to function competently and lead their school districts effectively. As credentialed experts in all aspects of school leadership, superintendents serve at the pleasure of a board of individuals who gain their authority through political means…

Men continue to dominate the superintendency in the United States, even though more than half of the specialized degrees needed to be a superintendent are earned by women (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019; Warner & Corley, 2017). Nationwide, 26.7% of the superintendents are women, while 27.75% of the superintendents in Illinois…

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of female superintendents and their educational career experiences and personal life experiences prior to the attainment of the school superintendency. In order to achieve this overall objective, the following research questions framed this qualitative methods study: 1. How have previous…

This correlational study analyzed the data from surveys administered to current Illinois superintendents. Two-way MANOVAs were used to identify if there was a statistically significant relationship between the nine factors of Transformational and Transactional leadership styles as measured by the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and…

Purpose: If PK12 administrators aspire to interrupt bias-based bullying, they need to understand their role in perpetuating structural and social inequality. The purpose of this study was to examine administrators': 1) awareness of gender-based bullying, 2) initial intentions to address bullying, and 3) actions that interrupted or perpetuated…

The purpose of this study is to examine differences in the career pathways and experience of male and female superintendents employed in Illinois. In order to achieve this overall objective, the researcher examined gender differences in the career pathways of Illinois superintendents as well as gender differences in the perceptions of…

This research studied the predictive relationship of educational top leadership tenure on school performance. Specifically, it examined whether the tenure of top educational leaders, superintendents, and school business officials predicts school performance as measured by the 2019 Illinois State Board of Education School Performance Indicator…

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…

With the 2020 March declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, normal in the teaching profession was turned upside down with state mandated school closures, changes in instructional delivery, and social isolation. As a result of this educational disruption, as well as new extreme health risks, teacher stress and concern for their well-being increased…

This qualitative case study was centered around the experiences that five rural superintendents shared after being coached as part of the Illinois Association of School Administrators School for Advanced Leadership (ISAL) program. The research problem examined the challenges of coaching and development in relationship to transformation. The…

This study utilized a survey research design to examine how school superintendents use concepts found in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) with district leadership teams to improve professional capital in members of the leadership team. The research sought the correlation between the factors identified through factor analysis, as well as…

Discrepancies in the number of females occupying superintendent positions in the United States continue to exist; therefore, this study utilized a survey design to examine the perceived barriers to achieving the top positions in education as well as differences by gender among aspiring superintendents in K-12 in Illinois. Statistical analyses…

The role of the school leader continues to evolve. As the roles of principals and superintendents become more complex and demanding, there is a necessity to explore the perceptions of Illinois public school principals, superintendents, and Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS) regional superintendents on the need for…