Date of Award

2001

Level of Access Assigned by Author

Open-Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

Advisor

Russell J. Quaglia

Second Committee Member

David Brown

Third Committee Member

Kathleen Geher

Abstract

This study investigates and identifies the factors impacting the superintendency and examines them, positive and negative, as they influence potential and current superintendent certificate holders to complete the process of applying for a superintendency. Three sample groups were used in this study: current Maine superintendent certificate holders, students enrolled in graduate administration classes, and currently practicing superintendents. These three groups were selected because of their unique positioning on the career ladder to the superintendency (Burnham, 1988). The aggregate sample included 236 respondents, comprising 82 superintendents, 90 certificate holders and 64 students. Three survey instruments were designed for this study specifically for each of the three groups. The first phase of data analysis focused on demographic factors (ie., present position, age, location) for each of the three groups (superintendents, certificate holders and students). The responses of the three groups were compared. Frequency data was analyzed by means of chi square tests, and a series of one-way ANOVA’s were conducted to compare the elements of the superintendency to determine if differences were identifiable between the three groups. Scheffe post-hoc tests were run to identifl significant differences between groups that emerged from the significant oneway ANOVA’s SPSS was used for all analysis. Most of the superintendents surveyed reported that they were satisfied in their current position and would apply for another superintendent’s position in the future. The responses of the certificate holders tended to be more aligned with the responses of the superintendent group than with those of the student group. The notable difference was that twenty-two percent for the respondents reported that they were not interested in applying for a superintendent’s position. The student respondents were significantly younger than the other two groups. They agreed with the superintendents and certificate holders on eight of the top ten influencing factors in pursuing a superintendency as well as eight of the ten least influencing factors

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