The purpose o f this study was to : (1) identify the procedures used by Indiana school boards in the selection of a school superintendent, and (2) determine the effective procedures used by school boards in the selection of a school superintendent.Procedure UsedThe study was limited to those Indiana school corporations which had selected a new superintendent in the 1973 calendar year. Thirty-four school corporations met the criteria; however, thirty superintendents responded to the questionnaire. To secure information on the effective procedures used, an interview guide was developed. Data were gathered from questionnaire responses reported by superintendents and the use of an interview guide seeking information from board members. Two board members in each of the responding districts were contacted and interviewed.FindinqsSome selected findings were summarized from the superintendent's questionnaire:1. Thirteen school corporations sought qualified candidates from within the school corporation. 2. A screening committee was used by twelve of the school corporations.3. A written statement of qualifications was prepared by three of the school boards.4. A professional consultant was used in eight corporations.5. The type of degree a candidate possessed was Y not a deciding factor.6. Experience in an administrative position was required of all candidates selected.The responses to the interviews with board members were summarized as follows:1. Officials of the Indiana School Boards Association were contacted by twenty-five school boards.2. Superintendents interviewed for the opening ranged from three to fifteen.3. The choice of the candidate was unanimous in all but eight of the cases.4. The reason given most frequently as the most important reason for the selection was that the person knew the system and had the ability to work with people.5. The personal interview was mentioned most often as the procedure board members felthelped them determine the candidate who could best serve the community.6. Placement officials of the state universities were notified.7. Meeting the superintendent's wife was considered to be a very important part of the selection process.8. The success of the selection process was attributed most often to the cooperation of the board members, and to the lack of pressure groups.9. In response to a question seeking to determine changes in procedures that should be made, the following suggestions were made: improve the role of placement bureaus, and consider local candidates before searching for candidates from outside the district.Conclusions1. The recommendations made by the National School Boards Association and the American Association of School Administrators are not influencing the procedures used by board members in selecting a superintendent in Indiana.2. A need exists for clarification of the composition and role of the screening committee. The board members do not appoint the persons to the screening committee but rely on the state universities to appoint a qualified person with background and experience in school administration and in particular, the superintendency.3. A need exists for the employment of professional consultants to assist board members in the selection process. This help is needed in the development of a list of qualifications for the position, the preparation of a brochure and the establishment of a screening process.Recommendations1. The competencies and experiences desired of the candidate must be established by the board before a selection can be made.2. Screening committees should be composed of persons who have the ability to evaluate candidates for positions.3. Procedures adopted by the board must insure that the screening committee, consultant andboard can make the selection of the superintendent on the basis of qualifications only.4. All screening committees should be composed of professional persons with experience and background in the field of school administration.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/178120 |
| Date | January 1974 |
| Creators | Mauck, Randall L. |
| Contributors | Nesper, Paul W. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | vi, 77 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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