<p> This qualitative narrative inquiry study involved exploring the perceptions of African American women about career advancement in public school administration. The research questions guided the exploration of perceptions and experiences about seeking positions of authority in public school systems administration in the state of California: What are the identifiable factors slowing career advancement for African American women seeking positions of authority in public education? How can other African American women avoid identifiable factors that slow career advancement? What supports should be in place to aid African American women on their quest to attain positions of authority in public education? Purposeful sampling was used to select five African American women administrators seeking career advancement in public schools. Transcriptions of audio-recorded interviews yielded data for analysis with the NVivo 9 computer analysis program. The perceptions and lived experiences of the participants were compiled and themes identified to determine the factors influencing career advancement of African American women to upper administration in public education. Five core themes embodied the main findings of the study: Personal Traits and Priorities, Exclusion Experiences, Extrinsic Motivation, Understandings, and Supports. Recommendations in the study include African American women increasing self-awareness and situational awareness within the organizational context and leaders gaining understanding about the unique characteristics, traits, qualities, and contributions of the African American women within their organization. Other recommendations include creating and evaluating a succession plan or policy for all individuals desiring career advancement, developing a leadership academy with an emphasis on diversity programs and multiculturalism supporting the succession plan and policies, and developing a pool of qualified candidates. Implementation of these recommendations may change policies and practices in public school systems to ensure fairness and equity for all members desiring career advancement. </p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:3738516 |
| Date | 11 December 2015 |
| Creators | Knight-Bennett, Joyce |
| Publisher | University of Phoenix |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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