This study investigated the structured mentoring program provided to novice superintendents by the SSA (School Superintendents of Alabama). This study examined new African American superintendents' perceptions of the facilitating factors and barriers that influenced the success of the program and the benefits in terms of attaining district goals…

Leadership effectiveness is often defined in terms of, a leader's ability to motivate followers towards a collective goal, mission or vision (Knippenberg, Knippenberg, Cremer & Hogg, 2004). However, a leaders' understanding of their own identity; how education, culture, upbringing, values and morals helped shape the "self" (Leary,…

This qualitative study measures the perceptions of gender equity in educational leadership among female superintendents in Kentucky. Education is dominated by females; however, superintendent positions are held by men in much greater numbers than women. Research questions are as follows: 1) What common experiences and traits do female…

Research suggests that, despite a great deal of training and job experience that typically precedes the ascension to a district level leadership position (Lamkin, 2006), superintendent career sustainability/longevity is often very low (Grogan & Andrews, 2002; Shulte & Hong, 2011) with average superintendent tenure at approximately seven…

There have been several dissertations published regarding the lack of women superintendents (Reed & Patterson, 2007). However, when trying to explore African-American women superintendents, there is very little research to examine, especially on Texas African-American women superintendents. The purpose of this qualitative, narrative study was…

In this article, we extend and complement previous studies on self-descriptions of superintendents' administrative work by examining the influential role of a relatively new actor in charter schools: the charter school district superintendent. In particular, we examine the influence of a charter district superintendent's leadership on…

Major philanthropic initiatives that incorporate features of venture-capital practices have become increasingly prominent, particularly in K-12 public education. In this study, we provide empirical evidence on the reach, character, and impact of the Broad Superintendents Academy, a prominent and controversial venture-philanthropic initiative…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand how superintendents leading large, high-profile and politically complex urban districts make sense of their district-community context and advocate for issues of equity. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative multi-case study took place over the 2017-18 school year and involved…

Research-practice partnerships (RPPs), where researchers and practitioners work in concert to address persistent problems of practice, provide promising mutualistic benefits in urban school settings. Drawing on an integrated framework, this case study explores the initial development of an RPP between six small and rural school districts and two…

Almost every state in the United States has revamped its principal evaluation policies since 2009, yet we know little about how they are implemented. Based on interviews and document analysis in 21 small- and medium-sized school districts, we found that superintendents' sensemaking shaped their implementation of policy. Drawing on their beliefs…

Every school district in North America has a superintendent. But what occupies their time? That was the core question of this project. This study looked at how school superintendents in British Columbia, Canada, spent their time during the school year. This study explored the demographics of superintendents and their school districts, the level of…

The purpose of this Action Research study was to investigate and improve teacher retention at Southside Public Schools, an urban public school district in Massachusetts. Participants and data collected in Cycle 1 consisted of an interview with the school district's superintendent, a focus group that included Southside's director of human…

The underrepresentation of female superintendents leading school districts today continues to be a persistent educational problem. There are many qualified women actively seeking the superintendency; however, gatekeepers such as school board members and search firm consultants control the gates and channels of the superintendent selection process…

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…

The problem statement for this project-based learning was loose coupling, when applied to the PBIS framework, translates into major gaps with district-wide implementation of Tier II and Tier III interventions. Additionally, lack of superintendent-adaptive schools' knowledge and practices impact fidelity of implementation. Tier II and Tier III…