The relationship between superintendent tenure and student achievement in Indiana
Abstract
The need for an effective leader is a priority for school boards looking to hire a superintendent. However, with an average tenure of five years in urban settings, consistency in leadership for public schools is on the wane. Perceived leadership abilities or the effectiveness of any superintendent is routinely judged by looking at indicators such as state standardized test scores for their district. The purpose of this quantitative correlational comparative study was to determine if there is a relationship between superintendents' length of service and student achievement of students in Indiana. This study examined the superintendency in Indiana between the years 1996-2006. Specifically, this study identified the number of years that individual superintendents served in districts. It was determined that there is a relationship between the number of years served and the increase or decrease in student achievement as determined by the ISTEP+. The average ISTEP+ growth data and superintendent's tenure revealed areas of statistical significance between the primary variables selected. To ensure that the relationship is not reversed, i.e. high scoring districts are stable districts, and low scoring districts quickly change superintendents, results from a nation-wide analysis were investigated. It was found that when superintendents do leave their job, the most common reason is for career advancement. Furthermore, low student achievement on standardized tests did not rank in the top 12 reasons for superintendents leaving a district.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
McInerney, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Educational administration
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