View in EDS

The Entry Experiences, Challenges, and Mediating Strategies of Public School Superintendents

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: The Entry Experiences, Challenges, and Mediating Strategies of Public School Superintendents
Language: English
Authors: Sutton, David M.
Source: ProQuest LLC. 2012Ed.D. Dissertation, Western Carolina University.
Availability: ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 258
Publication Date: 2012
Document Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Educational Administration, Superintendents, Administrator Role, Phenomenology, Problem Solving, Gender Differences, Racial Differences, Ethnicity, Age Differences, Geographic Regions, Semi Structured Interviews, Educational Finance, Financial Problems, Time Management, Interpersonal Communication, Cooperation, Boards of Education, Partnerships in Education, College School Cooperation, Advocacy, Board Administrator Relationship
ISBN: 978-1-267-40716-0
Abstract: The public school superintendent's role has changed substantially over time, and the work of superintendents is more complex, demanding, and challenging than ever before. Recent studies indicate that 70% to 80% of the nation's superintendents will leave their positions over the next five years, suggesting the imminent entry of many new superintendents in the wake of widespread vacancies. Existing literature has examined the organizational dimension of leadership succession; however, only scarce research has explored the lived experiences of incoming superintendents during their entry into the position. Consequently, relatively little is known about how they experience entry, about challenges they face during entry into the position, and about strategies they use to mediate them. This phenomenological study addressed those knowledge gaps by exploring the lived experiences of 20 incoming superintendents in 4 southeastern states. Its sample reflected the national distribution of superintendents with regard to gender, race/ethnicity, age band, locale, and point of entry into the superintendency. Participants led school districts ranging in size from 1,000 students to 150,000 students. Data were collected through semi-structured, individual interviews with participants. Iterative analysis of interview transcripts revealed challenges across 17 experiential categories ranging from the purely occupational to the deeply personal. Most prevalent were challenges associated with school finance, time, and personal costs associated with the role; least prevalent were challenges associated with a sense of isolation, organizational deficits, and personnel administration. The frequency with which participants experienced several challenges varied considerably across personal characteristics and organizational features, most notably gender, locale, and point of entry into the superintendency. Participants applied 9 types of mediating strategies toward overcoming challenges. Most frequently, they leveraged communication and collaboration strategies, typically by applying them in novel ways to match specific contextual features of challenges they experienced. Participants frequently developed formal entry plans to guide their entry activities and often leveraged them to mediate specific challenges emerging during entry. However, they largely lacked either general or specific mechanisms for mediating personal costs they associated with the superintendency. Participants commonly offered positive appraisals of their mediating strategies' effectiveness, but emphasized the particular value of formal entry planning, professional counsel, and communication to their successful negotiation of emergent challenges. Implications for practice among incoming superintendents, school boards, and universities and professional organizations concern expectations and structures for formal entry planning; mechanisms for communication and time management; cultivation of effective board-superintendent relationships; recognizing and overcoming personal costs associated with the role; field-based university partnerships to support incoming superintendents; professional advocacy; and, other topics. Future research should explore the varying prevalence of experiential challenges across demographic variables to explicate the ways in which they manifest differently for members of those subgroups. It should also further examine personal costs associated with the superintendency and specifically seek to identify effective mechanisms for mediating related challenges. Grounded theory research should seek to define a robust, comprehensive conceptual model for contemplating the various sources, intersections, and contextual underpinnings of challenges facing incoming superintendents to clarify and inform the long-term direction of research in this field. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2014
Access URL: https://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqm&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3512080
Accession Number: ED548412
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: ED548412
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Dissertation/ Thesis
PubTypeId: dissertation
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: The Entry Experiences, Challenges, and Mediating Strategies of Public School Superintendents
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sutton%2C+David+M%2E%22">Sutton, David M.</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22ProQuest+LLC%22"><i>ProQuest LLC</i></searchLink>. 2012Ed.D. Dissertation, Western Carolina University.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: N
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 258
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2012
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Administration%22">Educational Administration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Superintendents%22">Superintendents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Administrator+Role%22">Administrator Role</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Phenomenology%22">Phenomenology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Problem+Solving%22">Problem Solving</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+Differences%22">Gender Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Racial+Differences%22">Racial Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethnicity%22">Ethnicity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Age+Differences%22">Age Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Geographic+Regions%22">Geographic Regions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Semi+Structured+Interviews%22">Semi Structured Interviews</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Finance%22">Educational Finance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Financial+Problems%22">Financial Problems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Time+Management%22">Time Management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interpersonal+Communication%22">Interpersonal Communication</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cooperation%22">Cooperation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Boards+of+Education%22">Boards of Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Partnerships+in+Education%22">Partnerships in Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+School+Cooperation%22">College School Cooperation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Advocacy%22">Advocacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Board+Administrator+Relationship%22">Board Administrator Relationship</searchLink>
– Name: ISBN
  Label: ISBN
  Group: ISBN
  Data: 978-1-267-40716-0
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The public school superintendent's role has changed substantially over time, and the work of superintendents is more complex, demanding, and challenging than ever before. Recent studies indicate that 70% to 80% of the nation's superintendents will leave their positions over the next five years, suggesting the imminent entry of many new superintendents in the wake of widespread vacancies. Existing literature has examined the organizational dimension of leadership succession; however, only scarce research has explored the lived experiences of incoming superintendents during their entry into the position. Consequently, relatively little is known about how they experience entry, about challenges they face during entry into the position, and about strategies they use to mediate them. This phenomenological study addressed those knowledge gaps by exploring the lived experiences of 20 incoming superintendents in 4 southeastern states. Its sample reflected the national distribution of superintendents with regard to gender, race/ethnicity, age band, locale, and point of entry into the superintendency. Participants led school districts ranging in size from 1,000 students to 150,000 students. Data were collected through semi-structured, individual interviews with participants. Iterative analysis of interview transcripts revealed challenges across 17 experiential categories ranging from the purely occupational to the deeply personal. Most prevalent were challenges associated with school finance, time, and personal costs associated with the role; least prevalent were challenges associated with a sense of isolation, organizational deficits, and personnel administration. The frequency with which participants experienced several challenges varied considerably across personal characteristics and organizational features, most notably gender, locale, and point of entry into the superintendency. Participants applied 9 types of mediating strategies toward overcoming challenges. Most frequently, they leveraged communication and collaboration strategies, typically by applying them in novel ways to match specific contextual features of challenges they experienced. Participants frequently developed formal entry plans to guide their entry activities and often leveraged them to mediate specific challenges emerging during entry. However, they largely lacked either general or specific mechanisms for mediating personal costs they associated with the superintendency. Participants commonly offered positive appraisals of their mediating strategies' effectiveness, but emphasized the particular value of formal entry planning, professional counsel, and communication to their successful negotiation of emergent challenges. Implications for practice among incoming superintendents, school boards, and universities and professional organizations concern expectations and structures for formal entry planning; mechanisms for communication and time management; cultivation of effective board-superintendent relationships; recognizing and overcoming personal costs associated with the role; field-based university partnerships to support incoming superintendents; professional advocacy; and, other topics. Future research should explore the varying prevalence of experiential challenges across demographic variables to explicate the ways in which they manifest differently for members of those subgroups. It should also further examine personal costs associated with the superintendency and specifically seek to identify effective mechanisms for mediating related challenges. Grounded theory research should seek to define a robust, comprehensive conceptual model for contemplating the various sources, intersections, and contextual underpinnings of challenges facing incoming superintendents to clarify and inform the long-term direction of research in this field. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2014
– Name: URL
  Label: Access URL
  Group: URL
  Data: <link linkTarget="URL" linkTerm="https://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqm&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3512080" linkWindow="_blank">http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqm&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3512080</link>
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED548412
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED548412
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 258
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Educational Administration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Superintendents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Administrator Role
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Phenomenology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Problem Solving
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Gender Differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Racial Differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ethnicity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Age Differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Geographic Regions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Semi Structured Interviews
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Finance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Financial Problems
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Time Management
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interpersonal Communication
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cooperation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Boards of Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Partnerships in Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College School Cooperation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Advocacy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Board Administrator Relationship
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: The Entry Experiences, Challenges, and Mediating Strategies of Public School Superintendents
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Sutton, David M.
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2012
          Identifiers:
            – Type: isbn-print
              Value: 978-1-267-40716-0
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: ProQuest LLC
              Type: main
ResultId 1