The purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth examination of the terms and conditions found in the employment contracts of Florida Appointed School District Superintendents, with a secondary focus on salary and termination without cause. Employment contracts were obtained from each of the 26 school districts with appointed school superintendents, and then carefully analyzed for similarities and differences. The results of this study will provide Florida school districts with information to construct the best possible employment contracts to both attract top talent and protect the interests of the school district.

The modern American superintendency faces many challenges, including a national concern that there is a demonstrated shortage of qualified school superintendents in the United States. Reported superintendent tenure ranges from 2.5-4.8 years. Various research and anecdotal data identify and illustrate the complex factors influencing superintendent tenure, and in turn, organizational stability and student achievement. In Texas, superintendents identify strained relationships with the school board president, superintendent/school board communication and relations, and the inability to accomplish goals with the board as significant factors in their length of tenure. Superintendent success in creating and sustaining effective working relationships with his or her boards of trustees and various stakeholder groups is predictive of his or her longevity. Superintendents must successfully navigate interactions with their boards of trustees, as well as internal and external special interest groups, and the greater voting community. Studies abound, regarding causal factors in truncated superintendent tenure, as well as the intrinsic challenges of effectively managing the myriad functions of the superintendency. Those studies primarily focus on interactions with the school board, or describe failed superintendencies from a postmortem perspective. However, the research literature lacks qualitative studies that focus attention on successful superintendent leadership strategies, which have contributed to increased superintendent tenure, and have resulted in increased organizational stability and higher levels of student achievement. / text

The intent of this study was to measure the perceived superintendents’ leadership practices in relation to student performance on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) in Region V Education Service Center, Texas. This is one of four cohort studies conducted in Region V that assessed the relationship between student performance and leadership practices. The study compared selected District Education Improvement Committee (DEIC) members and superintendent perceptions of superintendent leadership practices as measured by the Kouzes and Posner (2003) Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI). The study was also designed to determine if selected demographic variables impact the perceived leadership practices of the two identified groups. The research procedures included an analysis of the responses from superintendents and selected DEIC members to the Leadership Practices Inventory assessment of five identified leadership practices, Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act. and Encourage the Heart. Twenty-eight of the possible 30 school districts participated in this study. Student performance data for each district were obtained from the Texas Education Agency Academic Excellence Indicator System. The results of this study indicate that neither a linear relationship nor a statisti-cally significant relationship exists between student performance, as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), and leadership practices as per-ceived by selected DEIC committee members and superintendents. While the total LPI scores for the five identified leadership practices revealed no statistical signifi-cance; further statistical analysis revealed significance for two domains, Inspire a Shared Vision and Challenge the Process. The study also indicates that participating superintendents commonly perceived themselves higher in regard to leadership practices than did their observers (DEIC members); however, statistical significance for superintendent ratings was only realized in three of the five leadership practices: Model the Way, Challenge the Process, and Enable Others to Act. The frequency of use for each practice as ranked by superintendents and their observers indicate that Model the Way and Inspire a Shared Vision are practiced more frequently than Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.

The intent of this study was to measure the perceived superintendents’ leadership practices in relation to student performance on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) in Region V Education Service Center, Texas. This is one of four cohort studies conducted in Region V that assessed the relationship between student performance and leadership practices. The study compared selected District Education Improvement Committee (DEIC) members and superintendent perceptions of superintendent leadership practices as measured by the Kouzes and Posner (2003) Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI). The study was also designed to determine if selected demographic variables impact the perceived leadership practices of the two identified groups. The research procedures included an analysis of the responses from superintendents and selected DEIC members to the Leadership Practices Inventory assessment of five identified leadership practices, Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act. and Encourage the Heart. Twenty-eight of the possible 30 school districts participated in this study. Student performance data for each district were obtained from the Texas Education Agency Academic Excellence Indicator System. The results of this study indicate that neither a linear relationship nor a statisti-cally significant relationship exists between student performance, as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), and leadership practices as per-ceived by selected DEIC committee members and superintendents. While the total LPI scores for the five identified leadership practices revealed no statistical signifi-cance; further statistical analysis revealed significance for two domains, Inspire a Shared Vision and Challenge the Process. The study also indicates that participating superintendents commonly perceived themselves higher in regard to leadership practices than did their observers (DEIC members); however, statistical significance for superintendent ratings was only realized in three of the five leadership practices: Model the Way, Challenge the Process, and Enable Others to Act. The frequency of use for each practice as ranked by superintendents and their observers indicate that Model the Way and Inspire a Shared Vision are practiced more frequently than Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Lehigh University, 2000. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-137).

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the current practice of the superintendent’s evaluation process in three public school districts in Texas. This study collected information about current criteria used, the process as described by superintendents and school board presidents, and their perceptions regarding the effectiveness of the instrument used to measure the performance of the superintendent. A qualitative case study research approach was used to provide the researcher with rich, in-depth, relevant data. The researcher conducted multiple interviews of three superintendents and school board presidents in public school districts in Education Service Region IV of Texas. Additional data was gathered through documents and a reflective journal. There were six themes that emerged from data collected regarding superintendent evaluation: timing, rating, alignment, relationships, performance-based evaluation, and local control. The participating district modified and adjusted criteria and the process to align with the district context to more closely measure the school districts goals and priorities. The perspectives of superintendents and school board members offer insight into the process and struggles that each has with the overwhelming nature of the job of measuring the performance of the superintendent. / text

This study examined the perceptions of school board members and superintendents of their role and responsibilities during conflict. The following research questions were the focus of this study: (1) What type of group interactions occurred among the school board members and between the board and the superintendent? (2) How did the board/superintendent relationship affect information processing, conflict management, and goal setting between the school board and the superintendent? (3) What ways did group structures, such as role identity, influence board/superintendent cohesiveness? (4) What ways did the superintendent's leadership have an effect on board/superintendent cohesiveness? A good working relationship between an elected school board and an appointed superintendent is crucial in order for the school district to attain its district goals and improve student achievement. The school board members need to understand not only their roles and functions, but also the role and function of the superintendent. If a healthy relationship is not developed, then the school district and their stakeholders will be in a constant power struggle (Estes, 1979). A well-rounded working relationship between the school board and the superintendent is imperative if the district wants to achieve the goals set by the school board and to meet the mandates and requirements from federal and state agencies. Utilizing a qualitative multiple case study with a social action system theory approach, direct observations, individual interviews, and document reviews were used to collect data in this research study. Open, axial, and selective coding were used to analyze the qualitative data that was collected. This study supported themes in practice that emerged through the data in school districts with healthy board/superintendent relationships. The themes included: (a) honesty; (b) free flowing communication; (c) mutual respect; and (g) trust. This study also supplemented the existing research with additional themes that emerged from the individual interviews, direct observation and documents. These emergent themes included: (a) lack of communication; (b) dishonesty; (c) favoritism. The results of this study provided information related to strategies that aid in the development and the improvement of the school board and superintendent relationship. It contributed to the field of knowledge by highlighting the importance of improving the school board and superintendent relationship. This study can serve as a guide for designing training for school boards and superintendents. It could also help determine if a single method or a combination of methods would help to develop or improve the relationship between the school board and the superintendent.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

The public school superintendent is seen as the leader of schools and as a spokesperson bridging schools and the community. With this thought in mind, along with reports suggesting school and business collaboration as the key to better schools and lasting economic growth, defining the school superintendent's role in local economic development becomes valuable. As school and business relationships change, superintendents must be prepared to address this evolving interdependence. The purpose of this study was to clarify the role of the public school superintendent in local economic development. Using a three-round Delphi technique, panelists representing various geographic locations and employment domains participated in developing a consensus on this role. Superintendents, economic development leaders, business leaders, and government officials individually identified the tasks important to the public school superintendent's responsibility in local economic development. Panel members then rated the level of importance of each suggested task and worked through the rounds to develop agreement using statistical feedback from the group response. The tasks agreed upon by 80% of the panel members as being important to extremely important were then examined to disclose the level of importance. The rating response mean and standard deviation were calculated for each task. These descriptive measures were then used to rank the most important tasks and better define the public school superintendent's role in local economic development. / Ed. D.

Educational leadership has been studied and disputed for decades, but it remains an elusive topic. The superintendent is the lead advocate in the school district (Bjork, 2009). Research suggests that certain leadership characteristics are more effective than others (Gray and Lewis, 2011). The purpose of this study was to identify current superintendents' and active school-board chairpersons' perceptions of superintendent-leadership characteristics. As a follow-up study, it compared the perceptions of superintendents and school-board chairpersons in 2009 and 2016 to determine similarities and differences (Thornton, 2009). Superintendents and school-board chairs agreed that effective communication with board members, division and school staff, parents, students, and the community is essential in superintendent leadership. Superintendents and school-board chairs also agreed that personal and professional integrity, honesty, and fairness are essential leadership characteristics for public-school superintendents. Superintendents and school-board chairs ranked instructional leader and visionary leader as the two most essential characteristics of the position of superintendent. In 2009, the superintendents perceived instructional leader and visionary leader to be the most essential characteristics. In 2016, superintendents also rated instructional leader and visionary leader as the two most essential characteristics. In both 2009 and 2016, school-board chairs identified visionary leadership as the most essential characteristic. / Ed. D.