The issue of school safety has been interrogated as school shootings have occurred multiple times each year in the United States. This devastating reality has captured the attention of many throughout the United States. School leaders have implemented strategies to increase school safety, including the creation of practices to deter shooting…

The purpose of this article is to examine ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the adoption and perception of virtual programs in Indiana public school districts. This mixed-methods sequential explanatory study focuses on beliefs held by Indiana public school superintendents and virtual program administrators regarding the growth of…

This study examined why schools and districts transitioned from traditional education systems to competency-based, the challenges and benefits school experienced, and characteristics needed in a leader for the shift in education. The study used a quantitative approach informed by survey and correlational research. The participants in this study…

School choice has expanded during the modern school choice movement and students in Indiana can now choose from several school options including public schools, charter schools, virtual schools, or participate in the Indiana Choice Scholarships program and attend a parochial school. The potential for increased educational stratification across…

This study examined the rationale Indiana public school superintendents have used in making the decision to implement an e-learning day program for their districts to make up for lost instructional time when school is cancelled due to inclement weather. The conceptual framework for this study was Karl Weick's Sensemaking In Organizations. The…

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to determine if there were differences in perception among K-12 Indiana public school principals regarding the emotional intelligence of superintendents, specifically, the domains of self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. The independent variables included…

This study examined experienced school district leaders' informal and formal mentoring perspectives in times of stressful educational reform. In order to accomplish this qualitative research study, I sought to (a) gain an understanding of how experienced school district leaders viewed the presence of educational reforms, (b) gauge whether…

The purpose of this research study was to identify factors that lead to a positive relationship between school boards and superintendents and the overall importance of this relationship. Furthermore, this study looked at conflict resolution between school boards and superintendents and the influence of this relationship on student achievement. Two…

This study investigated teacher evaluation practices used in Indiana as the state was implementing a mandated teacher evaluation system (Public Law 90) and early reporting of subsequent teacher effectiveness results by the Indiana Department of Education. The study surveyed public school administrators: (a) superintendents, (b) special education…

Current research on computer technology integration in K-12 school classrooms indicates that student learning outcomes remain flat despite heavy investment. Examining school leadership conceptions about technology integration might reveal a way to reverse this trend. This study adapts a survey instrument from Brush and Bannon and applies it to…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover how school superintendents were using general fund referenda to meet their school district's operational budgets. However, after interviews began it became clear that the superintendents wanted to tell a different story and that was how the current school funding mechanism and property tax caps…

There has been debate among states as to how to properly fund schools. The debate has been focused on how much funding is supplied through property tax and is motivated by tax payer anger over fluctuating tax bills. Many of the policies have been implemented without looking at the effects that they will have on schools, especially in Indiana,…

Indiana recently gained status as a national leader in educational reform. At the same time, a record number of superintendents retired, with 62 retirements in 2012 and 2013, representing 21% of superintendents in the state. The purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing superintendents' decisions to retire during this time.…

There is little information on the topic of stress experienced by public school superintendents. There are gaps in research regarding the stressors that increase the occupational stress experienced by public school superintendents and methods these individuals use to combat occupational stress. This study searched for clarification of these…

Districts across the country, including some of the nation's largest, are facing a spate of superintendent vacancies. Schools chiefs or interim superintendents will be leaving this year or next in at least 17 well-known districts, including Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; Clark County, Nevada; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Wake County,…