This study explores the impact of self-efficacy, with a specific focus on verbal persuasion, on the career trajectories of Latinx school administrators. Grounded in Bandura's (1986) theory of self-efficacy, the research investigates how verbal persuasion has influenced the paths of Latinx school administrators toward achieving top leadership…

This nationwide study of 532 female school district superintendents, the largest such sample to date, offers compelling evidence that unconscious gender bias exists on the job and further inhibits equitable female representation in the superintendency. A modified version of Tran et al.'s (2019) Perceived Subtle Gender Bias Index (PSGBI), was…

This study involving 233 participants from ten states sought to identify the types of educational journals practicing superintendents read. The findings indicate that the majority of superintendents are reading publications provided by professional and trade organizations rather than peer-reviewed journals. Across all subgroups, "Educational…

The purpose of the current study was to gain the self-reflections from K-12 superintendents on their amount of oral language/talk to accomplish the work of the superintendency and the engagement of internal and external stakeholders. The focus of this study were superintendents in a rural, Western state. The response rate of the study was 63%. The…

While teachers' trust in principals is the most commonly studied trust relationship between and among school stakeholders, left largely unexplored is trust between leaders within a school system. Findings presented answer the question: What are indicators of superintendent trustworthiness as experienced and perceived by elementary school…

This article is based on results from "The American Superintendent 2020 Decennial Study" (Tienken, 2021) that reported the survey results of 1218 of America's seated superintendents. Specifically, for this article, we pull from the data on equity, community relations, and social media (Horsford, Mountford, and Richardson, 2021). This…

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…

Perhaps no relationship is as crucial for practicing superintendents as the relationship with their school board presidents. This study examined which leadership traits of superintendents were most important according to superintendents and school board presidents in a rural state in the Midwest. A researcher-developed survey studied how important…

Due to emerging laws regarding marijuana use, the need for school officials to implement effective prevention interventions with students is evident. The purpose of this study was to examine superintendents' perceptions regarding drug testing of high school students. A survey based on the Integrated Behavioral Model was mailed to all…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to assess the perceptions of K-12 school administrators regarding school and community STEM awareness and to elicit their suggestions for promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) awareness among schools and communities. A purposeful sample of 175 Texas administrators provided…

We sought to explore the extent to which race might influence how African American superintendents cope with the stressors of their leadership roles and the presence of support while in such positions. In order to test this question, we recruited African American superintendents across the United States. We specifically measured their ability to…

The safety of students and staff is one of the most important responsibilities of a superintendent. This mixed-method study examined school security and emergency management protocols in Nebraska public schools. This study used qualitative perceptual data to compare the importance school superintendents place on safety and security emergency…

This study examined the impact of school start times on student achievement, attendance, and graduation rates for high school students. Data from a purposeful sample of 256 high schools across three regions centers (Region IV, Region V, and Region VI) in southeast Texas for the 2017-2018 school year were analyzed. These 256 high schools were…

Underrepresentation of women in the position of school superintendent has been identified as an equity issue in the field of education. National demographics show that approximately 73% of school superintendents are male as compared to only 27% female. Of these female superintendents, Latina and nonwhite female superintendents make up a small…

This study involving superintendents from four states sought to identify the nature and quality of help provided by outgoing superintendents to their successors, and to capture data regarding differences in the helpfulness of that support, depending on whether the superintendent moved to a new superintendency, retired from the position, or was…