Dissertation Proposal: An Analysis of the Rural School Superintendency

James LaubPrairie View A & M University

March 2006

Significance of the Study Limited research available on rural

schools

Research developed by the study could lead to less turnover and better retention rates of rural public school superintendents, thus, eliminating costly executive employee searches for school districts.

Significance of the Study (con’t.)

Research gathered by the study may help rural public school superintendents more accurately identify problems and challenges, thus stabilizing the role of chief executive officer of the school district, where he or she can positively impact the educational program.

Information, recommendations and experiences offered by other rural superintendents during the data gathering portion of the study could impact training and curriculum for educational leadership and superintendency certification programs.

Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study is to analyze the

educational governance challenges faced by superintendents in rural public school districts.

Many of the constraints that have historically inhibited the abilities of rural public school districts can be overcome provided the school leadership is stable and dedicated to excellence. (Chance & Capps 1992).

Statement of the Problem A high rate of rural public school

districts continue to experience a high incidence of superintendent turnover (Grady & Bryant, 1991)

Predictions loom of an increasingly high turnover rate in the superintendency, reaching perhaps as high as 40 percent to 50 percent in the upcoming years (Stricherz, 2001).

Statement of the Problem (con’t)

A decreasing number of applicants in the pool for superintendent vacancies create a challenge for school districts, particularly those that are rural and small (Czaza & Harman,1999; Johnson & Howley, 2001).

Excessive turnover caused by a high rate of turnover in the superintendency can detract from the espoused purpose of educating students (Chance & Capps, 1992).

Research Questions Qualitative

What are the characteristics of rural public school districts?

What are the governance challenges facing rural public school superintendents?

What knowledge, skills and strategies are utilized by rural public school superintendents to address governance challenges?

Qualitative Questions Question 1

Review of the Literature Extant databases

Question 2 Review of the Literature Survey – Naturalistic Inquiry

Question 3 Review of the Literature Survey – Naturalistic Inquiry

Research Questions

Quantitative What are the factors that contribute

to superintendent turnover in rural public school districts?

What innovative models are available to address the current and future challenges facing rural public school superintendents?

Hypotheses H1 – There is a statistically significant

difference between turnover rates among superintendents in rural public school districts.

H2 – There is a statistically significant difference between the leadership behaviors exhibited among superintendents in rural public school districts as identified by the MLQ (Form 5X).

Limitations of the Study A potential for differences in the responses

may exist, given the type of survey instruments and methodology (web based survey, telephone survey, personal interview) utilized in data collection and gathering.

The study may be restricted by the personal perceptions, beliefs, assumptions, feelings and experiences of rural public school superintendents.

Economic, regional and cultural biases may exist in the data, given the scope of the study is geographically based in the southwestern part of the United States

Chapter 2

Strands of Research Rural School Districts Superintendents Problems Leadership

Rural School Districts History Characteristics Research Governance

Gurus Howley Arnold Beeson Strange

Superintendents History Governance Roles Responsibilities

Gurus Kowalski Brunner Glass Bjork

Challenges School Board

Relations NCLB Teacher Retention Funding Facilities Transportation

Gurus Howley Beeson Strange Johnson

Leadership Transformational Transactional

MBE - Active Laissez-Faire

MBE - Passive

Gurus Bass Avolio Bennis Sergiovanni

Chapter 3

Data Sources Survey Instruments

Superintendents in 5 states Extant Databases

Chapter 1 glossary SEDL, AEIS, ADC, SISD, SAIS, ODE AASA, Professional Organizations

Population and Sample Target Population

Rural School Superintendents

5 States TX, NM, OK, NM,

AZ 653 Districts Less than 500

students in district

Simple Random Sample

Quantitative SPSS 150 Superintendents

Qualitative 30 Superintendents

Survey Instruments

Quantitative Descriptive/Explanatory

Likert Scale MLQ Form 5X

Reliability Validity Uses in variety of contexts

Survey Instruments

Qualitative Reliability

Cronbach’s alpha .8945 Validity

Panel of experts

Data Analysis - Quantitative

Hypotheses Stat Method Ind. Variable Dep. Variable Covariant

H1 ANOVA Superintendent Turnover Rate

H2 ANOVA Superintendent Management Style

H1, H2 ANCOVA Age

Gender

Yrs Exp

Data Analysis - Qualitative What are the characteristics of a

rural public school district? What are the responsibilities of a

rural public school superintendent?

What would you depict as the governance challenges facing rural public school superintendents?

What knowledge, skills and strategies do you utilize to address these governance challenges?

How would you define your leadership style?

What advice were you given as a first year superintendent that helped you the most?

What advice would you give a first year superintendent?

Review of the Literature Triangulation Member Checks Emergent Themes

Descriptive Statistics Demographics

Age Gender Yrs Experience # of Students Tax Base Tax Rate

Extant Databases SEDL AEIS ADC SISD SAIS ODE School Districts

Recommendations for Future Studies

Comparison study of suburban and urban superintendents

Management Styles Superintendent Preparation

Programs Comparison study of suburban and

urban school districts