The superintendency has historically been vulnerable to high turnover. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the turnover among two groups of Illinois superintendents: those in school districts with severe financial problems, and those in districts without such problems. The purpose was to determine the relationship between…

This study examined Minnesota school superintendents' knowledge and attitudes regarding universal school breakfast programs. A total of 51 percent of 267 district superintendents responded to a mail survey. Findings indicated that 58 percent of the superintendents were aware of a universal school breakfast pilot program in Minnesota and 85 percent…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the leadership practices of women superintendents to determine if their practices fit a new paradigm of administrative leadership. Data collection included: (1) telephone interviews with 30 rural and 21 urban female superintendents across the United States, and (2) completion of the Leadership…

Educators are faced with increasingly complex ethical decisions. This paper presents findings of a study that identified similarities and differences in levels of moral development and ethical reasoning processes exhibited by school board members and superintendents. A survey of 110 superintendents and their respective school board members…

Although school restructuring and school reform are widely talked about topics in educational administration, a difficulty exists in coming to an agreement about definitions of terms. This paper presents findings from a study that surveyed school district superintendents and school board members from 362 school districts in a seven-state area…

This study explores conflict between school superintendents and board members as perceived by superintendents. A critical incident methodology as elaborated by Flanagan was used to isolate and examine conflict. Common types of conflict include problems with family and friends, personal agendas, hiring and firing problems, and role uncertainty.…

A study explored the relationship between superintendent career aspirations and involvement in collective bargaining. Questionnaires mailed to 300 Ohio school superintendents yielded 241 responses, an 80 percent rate. Carlson's (1962) typology was used to classify superintendents as either career- or place-bound. Four factors of collective…

Viewing the school principal as the most important component in reform is reasonable, but it raises the question of why empirical research on the superintendent's role in education reform is relatively thin. An overview of why this gap in research exists and ways in which the school superintendent influences school reform are discussed in this…

The superintendent, as a district-level influence, may have significant effect on second-order school change, yet there is little research on the behaviors of the superintendent in the context of second-order change. The purpose of this research was to study the transformational behaviors of a school district superintendent and the effects of…

In recognition of the critical nature of the board's responsibility for evaluating the superintendent, this workshop manual attempts to assist school board members in identifying and defining policies and procedures for effective superintendent evaluation. The learning activities include: (1) lecture; (2) small- and large-group discussion; (3)…

Findings of a study that examined the relationship between superintendents' leadership styles and educational change are presented in this paper, with a focus on the implementation of the EDUCATION 2000 National Model Schools Network, a site-based school improvement and restructuring initiative of the American Forum for Global Education. The…

Findings from a study that explored the role changes and stresses experienced by superintendents in school districts undergoing school and union restructuring are reported in this paper. Methodology involved interviews and field investigation in five cities--Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville, Miami, and Rochester. New superintendent roles…

A comparative survey of 46 Alaska school superintendents and 520 in the nation at large reveals that nearly all the superintendents in both groups consider their relationship with the school board to be important and spend a considerable amount of time on that relationship. A positive correlation emerges between the importance superintendents…

Pennsylvania's public school women administrators and their respective superintendents were surveyed by mailed questionnaires, which gathered information about their childhood, families, educational preparation, job recruitment, professional experiences, and future plans. The superintendents rated their work performance. Findings were compared…

Presents five steps for effectively involving the community in the superintendent selection process. One suggestion is a board-community interview of a candidate. (Author/IRT)