Educational research typically overlooks the significance of the superintendent in improvement efforts. The superintendent must not only be a good manager, but must also provide leadership, direction, vision, and purpose, and must establish an atmosphere conducive to learning. Because effective communication is vital, and in order to avoid…

This paper reports on a study that identified the perceived sources of stress experienced by school superintendents in Connecticut. The theoretical framework for the study comprised Stages One and Two of the Administrator Stress Cycle. Data were supplied by the Administrative Stress Index, which was distributed to all 149 superintendents in…

From 1985 through 1989, studies were made annually of the administrative needs of school leaders in Georgia. This document functions as a guide for the Georgia Education Leadership Academy, as it looks ahead to the future of staff development for Georgia's school leaders. In 1985-87 and 1989, superintendents were asked to rate 61 common…

Nine ways for school executives to provide essential support for their superintendent's concept of the management team are: (1) speaking positively about the superintendent when talking to teachers, parents, students, and members of the community; (2) keeping the superintendent informed of events, achievements, and problems; (3) seeking the…

Current research suggests principal effectiveness is key to a successful instructional program. However, there is considerable lack of uniformity among superintendents regarding principal recruitment and selection. Of the 80 surveys mailed to a random sample of the nation's superintendents, 35 usable surveys rating the importance of 42 recruitment…

Despite a growing body of literature on the school superintendency, little is known about the role, influence, and satisfaction of district superintendents when school boards make compensation decisions for principals. This exploratory study, which reported findings from a sample of 215 Pennsylvania superintendents, attempted to identify and…

California annually experiences significant turnover among its superintendents; 468 out of 1,002 superintendents vacated K-12 superintendent seats in California between 1986 and 1989. Of this number, 92 accepted superintendencies in other districts and 4 became county superintendents. To discover where the other 372 superintendents went,…

In 1985, a leadership liaison committee consisting of the board presidents and executive directors of five state school management associations in Pennsylvania appointed a task force to examine the board-superintendent relationship within a team management framework. After providing background information, including various definitions associated…

Preparing school leaders should not be a dispassionate, value-free journey that produces administrators who are technocrats with neither objective curiosity or passion. Lewis & Clark, a small liberal arts college near Portland, Oregon, initiated an administrative certification program in 1981. The curriculum of this program focuses on holistic…

Describes an in-service training process that will improve superintendents' skills in searching for information outside the usual sources. The training depends on interaction, problem-solving, and development of strategies that use the entire community as a resource. (DW)

'Professionals' make the best school board members, say superintendents, with medical doctors their strong first choice and lawyers a distant second. (Author)

Under the School Act of 1970, Alberta school superintendents ceased being agents of the provincial government and became employees of local governmental units. This study takes stock of the superintendent's role and position as it evolved during the 1971-75 period and identifies ways to clarify and strengthen the position. In particular, the study…