The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the perceived impact of principal evaluation on leadership practices in Regional Office #28 Bureau, Henry, and Stark counties. This study used quantitative research methods with a descriptive and comparative research design. The research question that guided this study were: (1) To what degree…

Quality leadership in a school district is critical to school improvement (Dunlap, Li, & Kladifko, 2015; Kersten, 2009; Leithwood, Seashore, Anderson, & Wahlstom, 2004). School leaders must be capable of providing vision, focus, and support to their staff, in order to facilitate a positive working culture, and achieve sustainable academic…

Research into equity leadership has been a growing focus within educational leadership. Few studies explore the role of the superintendent in equity work. Drawing from interview data and observation of monthly regional leadership meetings, this article examines how 12 superintendents describe their equity leadership practices. Focusing on the ways…

This Education Leadership Portfolio (ELP) examines the research linking superintendent leadership to student achievement, reviews the current superintendent evaluation practices in Delaware's public school districts as well as other states, and proposes a more standardized superintendent evaluation process in the state of Delaware. This ELP…

This qualitative study investigated the scarcity of females in the superintendency in the U.S. public school systems through the lens of the little-studied female assistant superintendent. Females remain underrepresented in the superintendency, with very little change in the last century. While 76% of the K-12 educators in the United States are…

The study described in this paper elevates the role of community and educational stakeholders in building purposeful and meaningful relations with school district superintendents in the state of Kentucky. The purpose of this survey-based research is to explore superintendents' experiences with various educational stakeholders including school…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine superintendent instructional leadership in the context of the Iowa Teacher Leadership and Compensation System (TLCS). The study included interviews of 15 Iowa superintendents who were involved in the application and initial implementation of the Iowa TLCS in their districts.…

This study utilized a qualitative approach to focus on three essential elements: how superintendents are prepared to serve in their role as school district leaders, how they are recruited, and what support is available to help them succeed and remain in their position. The study explored these essential elements from the perspective of currently…

This qualitative research study, using survey research methods, examined the extent to which Arkansas school district superintendents believe that their university-based preparation programs adequately prepared them for the superintendency in Arkansas. An online survey containing a Likert scale was used to determine participants' perceptions of…

This study examines the impact of a pedagogical strategy using individual life mapping as a foundational piece of a graduate educational leadership program. We argue that active learning opportunities, like life mapping, allow educational leadership students to explore more fully their sense-making processes about systems leadership, which is…

The role of public school superintendent is one of the most gendered executive positions in the United States, with men twenty times more likely than women to advance from teacher to superintendent. Although the majority of teachers and central office administrators in schools are women, the majority of superintendents are men. Women have made…

This research study was designed to add to the existing but limited literature that explores perceived barriers and challenges African-American women superintendents experienced while ascending and serving in the superintendency. According to the literature, African-American women are underrepresented in the role of public school superintendents.…

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…

Emotional intelligence is a crucial and key ingredient of great leadership and can be seen as a transformational part of leadership that can bring unparalleled leader, member, and organizational success. While a plethora of research and data exists on emotional intelligence, deficiencies in evidence exist to understand the relevance in school…

The School Superintendent Mentoring Program was established in 2011 in Arkansas to provide essential training and support to enhance the new superintendents' potential for success during their first year as school district leaders. This research study utilized a qualitative research approach in which an open-ended survey instrument was used to…