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[1133813 LIBRAR Y lllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllclllfll M ich igan s a t: 31293 10134 University This is to certify that the thesis entitled A PROFILE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN presented by Gerard E. Keidel has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for Department of Admin— l istration and Higher Education Z222; Major professor Ph'D' degree in Date gé/QZ /Z7/ 0-7 539 Viv/‘17" it...» 3 W 4 «34.12.31 0*": a 5.231 I 9133?; r I /‘~, " ‘ \ . 44" \,\ / I A PROFILE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN BY Gerard E. Keidel A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Administration and Higher Education 1977 ABSTRACT A PROFILE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN BY Gerard E. Keidel Purpose The purpose of this study was to develop a pro- file of superintendents of public school systems in the state of Michigan. The profile was measured as of spring, 1976. The study derived its importance from the belief that the superintendent of schools is the key person in a school district's operation and that it is essential to expand the body of knowledge concerning those individuals who fill the position. Methodology The data were gathered by means of a survey instrument modeled after that used in a similar, but previous, national study conducted by the American Association of School Administrators in 1970. The questionnaire was refined and adopted following review by representatives of the Michigan Association of School Administrators. l.v|ll;.'l‘ lj l'lfxlli Qt Gerard E. Keidel The questionnaire was sent to 511 superintendents of public school districts offering grades kindergarten through twelve. This represented more than 98 percent of the school superintendents in Michigan. All the superin— tendents in the sample were members of the Michigan Association of School Administrators. The findings were based on a return of 355 surveys, 69.5 percent of those surveyed, representing all geographic sections of the state. The questionnaires were also analyzed and classified by school district size: under five thousand students, five to ten thousand students, ten to twenty thousand students and above twenty thousand students. Conclusions The superintendency is almost exclusively a male profession with the group's median age being forty-eight years. While 72 percent of the superintendents were raised in either a rural or town setting, it was found that superintendents of districts enrolling more than five thousand students were less likely to have been raised in that type and size community. More than 80 percent of the superintendents began as secondary school teachers at a median age of 23.9. Although superintendents spent a median of five years as a classroom teacher, those serving district enrolling Gerard E. Keidel more than ten thousand students spent less time in their classroom assignment than did their colleagues in dis- tricts of lesser size. Superintendents of larger districts tended to be appointed to their first administrative post earlier than were superintendents of smaller units. The most common first assignment was that of building principal. The average superintendent was appointed to his first superintendency just before his thirty-seventh birthday, with 91 percent having been appointed before the age of forty-five. The larger the enrollment of the superintendent's current district, the larger his initial superintendency tended to be. Although the majority of superintendents have served only in Michigan, boards of education of larger districts were more likely to employ superintendents with out-of—state experience than were boards of systems of lesser size. Superintendents in Michigan typically had the' security of either a two- or three-year contract, with the latter the case with more than half the superinten- dents. The salary guaranteed by these contracts strongly related to the student enrollment of the district. All but one superintendent possessed a master's degree, with the doctorate becoming very common, particu- larly in districts in excess of ten thousand pupils. Gerard E. Keidel Graduate study programs were rated quite highly, especially courses in personnel administration, school business management, public relations and school finance. The two most significant issues perceived by superintendents were inadequate financing of schools and labor relations. Superintendents of larger districts were particularly concerned with problems surrounding school integration. Michigan's superintendents felt positively toward their work in that three-fourths of the group indicated they would again choose the superintendency as a career. In addition, the overwhelming majority planned to remain in the role until retirement age. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author expresses deepest appreciation to the many persons to whom he is indebted. To Dr. Richard L. Featherstone, committee chair- man, for his unlimited patience, guidance and encourage- ment. To Dr. Carl W. Brautigam, Dr. George R. Myers and Dr. James B. McKee for their counsel and consideration as members of the guidance committee. To Dr. Donald Currie and the Michigan Association of School Administrators for the cooperation that made this study possible. To Mrs. Charlotte Franczek for her invaluable assistance in preparing the manuscript. To Mrs. Marty North for her technical expertise and proficiency in the final preparation of this document. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . Statement of the Problem . Importance of the Study. . Review of the Literature . Definition of Terms . . . Design of the Study . . . . Limitations and Delimitations of the S tuay O I 0 O O I O O 0 Overview of Subsequent Chapters . II. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA: PERSONAL CHARACTER- ISTICS O O O O O O O O O 0 Age 0 O O I 0 Sex . . . Past Community Type . Past Community Size . Past High School Size Summary . . . . . III. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA: PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE . . . . . . . . . Age of Entering Education . . Initial Position . . . . . Teaching Experience . . . . Initial Administrative Position Initial Superintendency. . . Salary . . . . . . . . Mobility of Superintendents . . . Number of Years in First Superintendency Years in Succeeding Superintendencies . Experience as a Superintendent . . Length of Contract . . . . Career Pattern . . . . . Noneducational Work Experience Reflection . . . . . . . Summary . . . . . . . iii 14 16 18 18 21 23 25 26 26 28 29 32 34 41 46 46 48 49 52 55 S7 60 IV. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA: PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION . . . . . . . . Degrees Earned . . . . . . Age Beginning Graduate Work. . . Financing Graduate Work Evaluation of Graduate Programs . Importance of Graduate Study . . Summary . . . V. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA: PRACTICES. . . PROFESSIONAL Issues Facing the Superintendent . Adequacy of Administrative Staff . Subcontracting for Services. . . Leadership Status of Work Load. . . Obstacles to Greater Future Plans. . Summary . . . the Superintendent Effectiveness VI. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND Purpose of the Study . Design and Methodology Conclusions . . Implications. . Reflections . . APPENDIX . . . . . . BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . iv IMPLICATIONS Page 62 62 66 70 73 73 79 81 81 89 94 95 97 99 102 105 107 107 107 108 114 122 124 131 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. LIST OF TABLES FREQUENCY OF RESPONSES BY DISTRICT ENROLLMENT . FREQUENCY OF RESPONSES BY DISTRICT SIZE . . . AGE OF SUPERINTENDENTS BY SIZE OF DISTRICTS. . TYPE OF COMMUNITY IN WHICH SUPERINTENDENTS SPENT MOST OF THEIR LIVES PRIOR TO ENTERING COLLEGE . . . . . . . . . . COMPARISON OF AUTHOR'S STUDY WITH THAT OF AASA REGARDING SUPERINTENDENTS' COMMUNITIES OF ORIGIN O O O I O O O O O O O O 0 SIZE OF COMMUNITY IN WHICH SUPERINTENDENTS SPENT MOST OF THEIR LIVES PRIOR TO ENTERING COLLEGE . . . . . . . . . . ENROLLMENT OF THE HIGH SCHOOL FROM WHICH SUPERINTENDENTS RECEIVED THEIR DIPLOMA. . . AGE WHEN EMPLOYED IN FIRST FULL-TIME POSITION IN PUBLIC EDUCATION . . . . . . . . . FIRST FULL-TIME POSITION IN EDUCATION HELD BY SUPERINTENDENTS . . . . . . . . . . EXTRA-CURRICULAR RESPONSIBILITIES IN FIRST POSITION IN EDUCATION . . . . . . . . YEARS OF CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE PRIOR TO ENTER- ING ADMINISTRATION . . . . . . . . . AGE AT ENTERING FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION . NATURE OF FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION . . . AGE AT APPOINTMENT TO FIRST SUPERINTENDENCY. . DISTRICT ENROLLMENT IN FIRST SUPERINTENDENCY . Page 15 16 17 19 21 22 24 27 30 30 31 33 35 37 38 Table Page 16. STARTING SALARY IN FIRST SUPERINTENDENCY . . 39 17. ANNUAL SALARIES OF SUPERINTENDENTS, 1975-76 . 4o 18. MOBILITY OF SUPERINTENDENTS . . . . . . 42 19. NUMBER OF STATES IN WHICH SUPERINTENDENTS HAVE SERVED . . . . . . . . . . . 44 20. NUMBER OF YEARS IN PRESENT SUPERINTENDENCY . 45 21. NUMBER OF YEARS IN FIRST SUPERINTENDENCY . . 47 22. MEAN NUMBER OF YEARS SPENT IN FIRST THROUGH SIXTH SUPERINTENDENCY. . . . . . . . 48 23. EXPERIENCE AS A SUPERINTENDENT . . . . . 50 24. LENGTH OF PRESENT CONTRACT. . . . . . . 51 25. FIRST EDUCATIONAL ASSIGNMENT OF SUPERIN- TENDENTS O O O I O O O O O C O O 52 26. SECOND EDUCATIONAL ASSIGNMENT OF SUPERIN- TENDENTS O O O O O C O O O O O O 55 27. FULL-TIME EXPERIENCE IN NONEDUCATION WORK. . 56 28. POST-COLLEGE NONEDUCATIONAL POSITIONS HELD BY SUPERINTENDENTS FOR ONE YEAR OR LONGER. . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 29. SUPERINTENDENTS' CAREER CHOICES IF THEY COULD CHOOSE OVER AGAIN . . . . . . . 59 30. STATE IN WHICH MASTER'S DEGREE WAS EARNED. . 63 31. SUPERINTENDENTS' MAJOR FIELD OF STUDY FOR MASTER'S DEGREE. . . . . . . . . . 64 32. SUPERINTENDENTS POSSESSING DOCTOR'S DEGREES . 66 33. AGE AT BEGINNING MASTER'S DEGREE STUDY. . . 67 34. AGE AT CONCLUSION OF MASTER'S DEGREE . . . 68 35. AGE AT WHICH SPECIALIST DEGREE WAS BEGUN AND CONCLUDED. . . . . . . . . . . . 69 vi Table Page 36. AGE AT WHICH DOCTORATE DEGREE WAS BEGUN AND CONCLUDED . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 37. FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR GRADUATE STUDY. . . . 71 38. SUPERINTENDENTS NEEDING LOANS TO COMPLETE THEIR STUDY . . . . . . . . . . . 72 39. SUPERINTENDENTS' EVALUATION OF GRADUATE - STUDIES AS PREPARATION FOR THE SUPERIN- TENDENCY C O O O O O O O O O O O 74 40. SUPERINTENDENTS' RATING OF GRADUATE COURSES . 75 41. SUPERINTENDENTS' RANKING OF GRADUATE COURSES . 76 42. ISSUES FACING THE SUPERINTENDENT . . . . . 83 43. SUPERINTENDENTS' RANKING OF CURRENT ISSUES. . 84 44. ADEQUACY OF SIZE OF THE SUPERINTENDENTS' STAFF O O O O C C C O I C O O O 90 45. SUPERINTENDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF ADDITIONAL POSITIONS NEEDED. . . . . . . . . . 91 46. NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL POSITIONS REQUESTED BY SUPERINTENDENTS WHO NEEDED ADDITIONAL HELP . 92 47. TYPES OF SPECIALISTS SUPERINTENDENTS FEEL ARE NECESSARY TO COPE WITH CURRENT ISSUES. . . 93 48. USE OF CONSULTANTS AND SUBCONTRACTED SUPPLE- MENTAL SERVICES BY SUPERINTENDENTS . . . 94 49. NUMBER OF CONSULTANTS OR SERVICE FIRMS SUB- CONTRACTED IN A TYPICAL YEAR. . . . . . 96 50. SUPERINTENDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR STATUS AS EDUCATIONAL OR COMMUNITY LEADERS . . . 97 51. TIME REQUIRED OF THE SUPERINTENDENTS. . . . 98 52. FACTORS PREVENTING GREATER EFFECTIVENESS . . 101 53. FUTURE PLANS OF SUPERINTENDENTS . . . . . 104 vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The writer has attempted to establish a profile of the peOple that populate one of the positions of leadership in the field of education today: the superin- tendents of schools in the state of Michigan. Michigan has long been one of the forerunners in the developments that ultimately affect schools on a nationwide basis. Whether it be in such areas as legis- lation, collective bargaining or school finance, Michigan seems to be on the cutting edge of educational practice. Because the superintendent of schools stands squarely in the midst of these events, it is worthwhile to examine and re-examine the office. The demands placed on today's schools by society are ever-changing, and it is hoped that those charged with the responsibility of responding to these demands are equal to the task. Thus, new knowledge and skills are a constant requirement. To help the superintendent understand the need for these skills, his career pattern should be analyzed. To be able to anticipate the crises to be-faced tomorrow, the issues of today must first be understood. Ironically, the temper of the times calls for the superintendent to at once be a student of his profession and a subject to be studied. Thus, appraisals of the characteristics and qualifications of superintendents should be an ongoing task if the superintendency is to continue to be a prime source of authority and influence in education. An enlightened and involved public looks at our schools with a critical eye. The challenges facing school superintendents have never been greater. To help them succeed, it must be known where they are and where they came from. Statement of the Problem As indicated in the introduction, it is difficult to make judgments as to the course of education in the state of Michigan without taking into account the makeup of some of its key leaders. The problem of the study was the deveIOpment of a profile of Michigan's public school-superintendents. In determining the "state of the superintendency," it was important to gather data that can serve to answer a number of questions, among them: 1. What are the personal and professional character- istics of school superintendents in Michigan? 2. What relationships exist between professional and selected personal characteristics of superin- tendents and the type and size of the district they currently serve? 3. What issues face the superintendency in Michigan today? 4. Do the issues vary depending on the size and characteristics of the school district? 5. How can professional preparation for the superin- tendent be improved? Therefore, the immediate problem faced by the writer was to develop an instrument that would secure answers to the above questions and others and, in doing so, provide a picture of the school superintendency in Michigan. Fortunately, the American Association of School Administrators had previously conducted similar studies on a national scope and had used survey forms that could readily be adapted to meet the author's need. Importance of the Study Charles Fowler, writing in the American School Board Journal, states that ". . . the superintendent is the key individual in any community's educational program. . . ."1 In light of Fowler's assessment, and that of countless other observers of the educational scene, it is of great importance that the characteristics of superintendents of schools in a state that is often a leader in educational trends and practices be assessed. If, as Bradford believed, superintendents are "shapers of young lives,"2 then studies that expand the body of knowledge regarding the makeup, opinions and job requirements of the professional superintendent have great value. With superintendencies "turning over" at a rapid rate, it is vital to develop information that will aid Michigan superintendents in appraising their own preparation, career patterns, opinions, practices and professional characteristics. In addition, the infor- mation should help aspiring superintendents review their professional preparation and projected career pattern. The Michigan Association of School Administrators has endorsed the study because of the need for data that 1Charles Fowler, "When Superintendents Fail,” The American School Board Journal 164 (February 1977): 21. 2American School Board Journal, Washington, D.C. (August 1976): 25. will help it assess its membership and determine how it can best serve the group. Boards of education, both on a statewide and local basis, have a vested interest in knowing better the peOple in whom they have entrusted administrative authority. With the public calling more and more for "accountability" in its schools, boards must use all information at their disposal to help them understand the people who operate as chief executives of the public school districts of Michigan. Finally, it is hoped that this study will provide the type of information that will assist colleges and universities in the analysis of their current preparatory programs and the development of newer concepts. The edu- cational level of superintendents has risen significantly in recent years and shows no indication of reversing itself. It is the responsibility of those institutions offering graduate level education to be sure that they keep pace with current needs in course content, not merely quantity. Review of the Literature Investigation by the writer of such sources as Educational Research Information Center, dissertation abstracts and the Education Digest revealed no previous study of the "state of the school superintendency" in Michigan. However, the American Association of School Administrators conducted earlier studies of similar design on a nation-wide basis. Underscoring the need for such studies, AASA, in 1960, took the position that "the scope, diversity and significance of public education demands leadership second to none among all professions affecting public welfare and the nation's strength."3 The organization went on to say that the require- ments of the office demanded a program of preparation that could only be established following careful analysis of current practices. In 1970, Forrest Conner said in his foreword to a comprehensive survey that: . . . the evolution of the superintendency, a position born more than 125 years ago, is not yet complete. It will never be complete as long as the schools remain decentralized in a free and changing society. What form the superintendency will take will depend, in great part, upon the professional vision, enterprise, statesmanship and courage of individuals in the generations of superintendents and board members still to come. Analysis of the two AASA studies revealed some dramatic changes in the decade between the reports. For example, the tenure for the average superintendent was 3American Association of School Administrators, Profile of the School Superintendent (Washington, D.C.: ), p. v. 4American Association School Administrators, The American School Superintendent (Washington, D.C.: 197IS, Ibreword. reduced 33 percent, from nine years to six years. At the same time, the mean salary rose by almost 50 percent. Those with earned doctorate degrees also rose signifi- cantly, from slightly less than 22 percent in 1960 to more than 29 percent ten years later. While there were some marked changes, many things remained constant. Superintendents were generally satis- fied with their graduate preparation, followed essentially the same career pattern and, if they had it to do over again, would once again choose school administration as a career. On a national basis, it was also virtually a male position. Elwood Cubberly summarized the status of the superintendency when he said: "The opportunities offered in school administration to men of strong character, broad sympathies, high purpose, fine culture, courage, exact training and executive skill, who are willing to take the time and spend the energy necessary to prepare them- selves for large service, are today not excelled in any of the professions learned or otherwise."5 SIbid., foreword. Definition of Terms The following terms are an integral part of this study and are assigned these stated definitions: School District--A system of schools which is governed by a locally elected board of education, admin- istered by an administrative staff headed by a superin- tendent of schools and which includes all grades from kindergarten through grade twelve. Superintendent of Schools--The administrative head of a school district who is appointed by the local board of education and authorized to act as its agent. Elementary School-~A11 forms of grade organization which comprise any combinations of grades including kindergarten through grade six. Secondary School--All forms of grade organization which comprise any combination of grades including grades seven through twelve. Extra-curricular Responsibilities--Assignments to supervise student activities that take place outside the normal school day. Administration--The performance of executive duties in the management of a school or school district. Career Pattern--The progression of positions in one's chosen field, in this case the education profession. MASA--Michigan Association of School Adminis- trators; the professional organization for Michigan superintendents and their chief assistants. AASA--American Association of School Adminis- trators; the professional organization for this nation's superintendents and their chief assistants. Educational Leader-~Person viewed by others as the spokesman for and director of education in the com- munity. Design of the Study Because of the nature of the problem, the writer used a normative survey method to gather data for the study. This approach, as Best says, enables the researcher to: . . . gather data from a relatively large number of cases at a particular time. It is not con- cerned with characteristics of individuals as individuals. It is concerned with the generalized statistics that result when data are abstracted from a number of individual cases. It is essen- tially cross-sectional.6 I 6John W. Best, Research in Education (Englewood Cliffs,~N.J.: Prentice-HalI} Inc., 1959), p. 107. 10 Van Dalen described the usefulness of this type of study when he said that: Before much progress can be made in solving problems, men must possess accurate descriptions of the phenomenon with which they work. Hence, the early developments in educational research, as in other fields, have been made in the area of descriptions. . . . Determining the nature of prevailing conditions, practices and attitudes seeking accurate descriptions of activities, objects, processes and persons--is their objective. They depict current status and sometimes identify relationships that exist among phenomena or trends that appear to be developing. The survey method helped the writer gather infor- mation about the subject as it now exists. While portions of the questionnaire required a subjective re5ponse, the writer believes that this limitation was far outweighed by the advantages enumerated above. In addition, the author believes that the inherent "professionalism" of the school superintendent brought about accurate and forthright responses. The survey instrument was modeled after those used in previous studies conducted by the American Association of School Administrators. It was adopted for use following consultation with Dr. Donald Currie, Executive Secretary of the Michigan Association of 7Deobold Van Dalen, Understanding Educational Research: An Introduction (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., 1962), p. 184. 11 School Administrators, members of the Executive Committee of MASA and fellow administrators. The survey itself appears in the Appendix. In helping to develop a broad picture of the superintendency, the questionnaire generated data in four areas of concern: personal characteristics, pro- fessional experience, professional preparation and pro- fessional practices (including such factors as opinions of issues, time required by the job and challenges now being faced). The survey instrument was mailed to 511 superin- tendents of schools in the state of Michigan. All the superintendents were members of the Michigan Association of School Administrators and were connected with public school districts offering programs that spanned kinder- garten through twelfth grade. No superintendents of ”intermediate" school districts were included in the sample. The sample constituted better than 98 percent of the superintendents in the State. The author received completed surveys from 355 superintendents, a rate of return of 69.5 percent. With such a high percentage of the population included in the study, the author believes that the findings are statis- tically significant and conclusive. 12 Limitations and Delimitations of are S tudy The study is limited to the degree that subjective judgments were called for in response to some of the questions included in the data gathering instrument, particularly those dealing with such topics as the effectiveness of graduate studies as preparation for the superintendency today and the status of the superin- tendent as an educational leader. The study has the chief delimitation of being confined to those school superintendents belonging to the Michigan Association of School Administrators. MASA is a voluntary professional organization that includes the vast majority of the state's superin- tendents in its membership. More than 98 percent of the superintendents serving districts offering kinder- garten through twelfth grade belong to the group. Since the number of superintendents not belonging to MASA is insignificant, the sample involved was more than repre- sentative. Overview of Subsequent Chapters The Study is presented in six chapters, with the first an overview of the problem. Chapters II through V present the data developed in the categories of personal characteristics, profes- sional experience (career pattern), professional prepar- ation and professional practices and judgments. L'A III.» ~ " W m- X“ .“ '_’__u-.v u 'A .- 5 , 9" "v ' . . - (. - v.- P' ‘r .' '..-'¢u_m1x g'V' 1,—5.1 W .I...A.A‘:- A - - . .7 Bill . ‘_ -11....“ .5. T ‘6“ I. ; 1.2.“.“x " 13 In addition to analyzing the data generated by the superintendents' responses to the questionnaire, the writer made comparisons with the last such similar study conducted by the American Association of School Administrators. In Chapter VI, the writer has summarized the study, drawn conclusions and noted implications based on the findings of the data. CHAPTER II ANALYSIS OF THE DATA: PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS Following mailing of the survey instrument in May, 1976, the author received 355 responses from superintendents of schools in the state of Michigan. The results were then categorized by student enrollment of the district in which the respondent served as superintendent. The following enrollment categories were established: Under 5,000 students 5,001 - 10,000 students 10,001 - 20,000 students Above 20,000 students Table 1 indicates the number of responses in each of the established school district enrollment cate- gories. Two hundred eighty-eight of the 355 responses come from districts of less than five thousand students. In 1976, 82 percent of the districts of the state con- tained less than five thousand students. Thus, the responses closely mirrored the student enrollment pattern of the state. 14 15 TABLE 1 FREQUENCY OF RESPONSES BY DISTRICT ENROLLMENT . . No. of % of District Enrollment Responses Responses Under 5,000 288 81.1 5,001 - 10,000 40 11.3 10,001 - 20,000 19 5.3 Above 20,000 8 2.3 Total 355 100.0 Also of note is the fact that nineteen of the twenty-two superintendents in districts enrolling ten to twenty thousand students completed the questionnaire. Eight of the state's ten superintendents from districts with more than twenty thousand students also responded. The rate of return was forty out of sixty-three in the five to ten thousand student classification. In addition, to be sure that responses were received from all geographic areas of the state, the responses were also categorized by region. The Michigan Association of School Administrators divides the state into ten regions including the City of Detroit School District as one of the regions. The author then analyzed the returns in the same way, as shown in Table 2. The results clearly Show a solid sampling from all sectors of the state, with no region contributing more than 16.9 percent of the responses and none less than 7.3 per- cent. 16 TABLE 2 FREQUENCY OF RESPONSES BY DISTRICT SIZE . No. of % of MASA Region Responses Responses 1 27 7.6 2 38 10.7 3 60 16.9 4 26 7.3 5 43 12.1 6 26 7.3 7 36 10.1 8 40 11.3 9 59 16.6 Total 355 100.0 The author identified selected personal charac- teristics of the respondents through questions four through eight of the survey instrument. The character- istics were age, sex, type of community in which the superintendent was "raised,” size of the community in which the superintendent was ”raised,” and the enrollment of the high school from which the superintendent graduated. Ass The superintendents ranged in age from twenty- eight to sixty-seven, with the median age 48.1 and the mean 47.3. It can be seen that the age of the superin- tendents was not related to the size of the districts in which they worked (Table 3). 17 TABLE 3 AGE OF SUPERINTENDENTS BY SIZE OF DISTRICTS District Enrollment - Age Range Median Age Mean Age Under 5,000 28 - 67 47.9 47.5 5,001 - 10,000 39 - 65 48.8 48.2 10,001 - 20,000 44 - 62 48.6 49.6 Above 20,000 37 -.63 47.5 48.7 Total 28 - 67 48.1 47.3 In comparing the ages of Michigan superintendents with the national profile developed by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), the reader can see that the superintendency in Michigan is not really becoming more a younger man's profession than it was in 1970. In the AASA study of that year, the median and mean ages of American school superintendents were 47.7 and 48.1 years, respectively.1 However, it should be noted that the nationwide median age in 1958 was fifty-one years of age.2 Previous studies referred to in the 1958 AASA work showed the median age in 1922 as forty-three, in 1932 as forty-four and in 1950 as forty-nine. 1American Association of School Administrators, The American School Superintendent (Washington, D.C.: 1971), p. 13. ‘ 2American Association of School Administrators, Profile of the American School Superintendent (Washington, D.C.: 1960), p. 10. 18 In summary, the national studies showed a rise from forty-three to fifty-one in a thirty-six year period. The next twelve years showed a decrease in the median age back down to 47.7. §E_>_‘_ As in the past, the superintendency seems to be a "male" profession, with only one female respondent in the survey. The percentage of Michigan school superin- tendents who are males is 99.7 percent. This can be compared with the 1970 AASA study that showed 98.7 per- cent as the nationwide percentage of superintendencies being held by males.3 Past Community_Type In questions six and seven of the survey, the superintendents were asked to indicate the type and size of the community in which they Spent most of their life prior to enrolling in college. The four choices for community type were "rural," "town or small city," "suburban city in a metropolitan area" and ”large urban area or city.” Table 4 shows the responses received. 3American Association of School Administrators, American School Superintendent, p. 13. 19 o.ooa o.ooH o.ooa o.ooa o.ooa Hmuoa m.ma o.m~ H.a~ o.m~ m.oH Monaco swans omumq m.¢a m.nm m.mH o.o~ m.~a mmud :muwaomouumz 6 ca suwo annuansm m.mq m.sm m.em m.~q H.vv suau Hausa no c309 m.m~ o m.m~ m.~H ~.~n Hausa a w w w m Hmuoa maamam madman madman maflmzm ooo.o~ O>OO< ooo.o~ I ooo.oa ooc.oa I ooo.m ooo.m Moons mama muwcsfifioo mocmpcoucwuomsm ucmuuso mo Onam mUmAAOU UZHmmBZm OB MOHmm mm>HA mHmmB m0 BmOS Bzmmm mBZszmBZHmmmDm mUH=3 2H NBHZDSZOU m0 mafia v mnmdfi 20 More than 72 percent of the superintendents in Michigan were raised in either a rural or town setting. However, this figure changes considerably as the responses of superintendents from districts of varying sizes are analyzed. As an example, while more than 74 percent of the superintendents in districts of under five thousand pupils were raised in either a rural or town situation, the figure is substantially smaller for the other three categories, dropping to a low of 37.5 percent for superin- tendents in districts enrolling more than twenty thousand pupils. In fact, in districts of that size, none of the superintendents were raised in a rural setting. Conversely, better than 23 percent of the superin- tendents working in districts of more than five thousand students were raised in large urban centers. In districts of less than five thousand pupils, only 10.8 percent of the superintendents came from large cities. Table 5 compares the nationwide results of the 1970 AASA survey regarding past community type with the author's findings in Michigan. Nationwide, in 1970, 86 percent of the superintendents surveyed came from a rural or small town setting compared with more than 72 percent for that same grouping in Michigan. 21 TABLE 5 COMPARISON OF AUTHOR'S STUDY WITH THAT OF AASA REGARDING SUPERINTENDENTS' COMMUNITIES OF ORIGIN . 1970 AASA Author's 1976 Community National Study Study ype % of Responses % of Responses Rural 42.9 28.9 Town or small City 43.2 43.3 Suburb 7.6 14.4 City 6.3 13.3 Total 100.0 99.9 Past Community Size In addition to community type, the superintendents were asked to indicate the size of the community in which they spent most of their lives prior to entering college. Once again, respondents now working in districts of less than five thousand pupils tended to come from smaller communities than did superintendents of districts of larger size, as shown in Table 6. By combining community size categories the author found that just under 65 percent of the sUperintendents of districts with less than five thousand pupils spent most of their lives prior to college in communities of less than ten thousand people. In districts of five to ten thousand pupils only 46.2 percent of the superin- tendents came from that size community. Further analysis showed that the larger the district size, the smaller the chance that the superintendent was raised in a 22 o.ooa o.ooa o.ooa o.ooa o.ooa Hmuoa >.~H o.m~ m.mm o.m~ m.m ooo.ooa o>on< H.h~ m.mm m.h~ m.om m.mm ooo.mm I ooo.oa m.- o H.HH m.om o.m~ mmm.m I ooom.~ v.5m m.mH m.h~ e.mH m.Hv oom.m umpco w w w w a Hmuoa maflmsm mawmsm mawmnm madman ooo.om O>on< ooo.o~ I ooo.oa ooo.oH I ooo.m oco.m Rocco Guam huwcsaeoo mocmpcmucwummnm ucmuuao mo muwm m mqmfle mwquoo OZHmmazm OB mOHmm mm>HA mHmmB m0 BmOZ Bzmmm mBZMQZmBZHmmmDm zUHmz 2H NBHZDZZOU m0 MNHm 23 town or city of under ten thousand people. This is borne out by the fact that only 38.9 percent of the superin- tendents of districts in the ten to twenty thousand stu- dent category came from an "under ten thousand people" community and a mere 12.5 percent of the superintendents of twenty thousand student districts were from towns of that size. The 1970 AASA study showed the same type of relationship between the size of the district in which the superintendent was employed and the size of the com- munity in which he was raised.4 This trend was cited by AASA in that study when the results were compared with its 1958 survey. Past High School Size The final personal dimension analyzed by the author was the size of the high school from which the superintendents received their diplomas. As expected in light of the author's previous findings regarding the relationship of past community size and the size of the superintendent's current school district, superintendents working in larger districts tended to graduate from larger high schools. Table 7 illustrates this, although it should be noted that the group with the largest median enrollment Of past high schools was that formed 411616., p. 23. 24 by superintendents now employed in districts enrolling 10,000 to 20,000 students. The median enrollment of the high schools from which these superintendents received their diplomas was 1,487. This contrasts with a median figure of 699 for superintendents of districts with under 5,000 students. Surprisingly, the median enrollment of the eight superintendents in the "above twenty thousand" category was 750. However, the mean for this group was 1,000. As a total group, the superintendents graduated from high schools with a median enrollment of 700 and a mean of 1,115. TABLE 7 ENROLLMENT OF THE HIGH SCHOOL FROM WHICH SUPERINTENDENTS RECEIVED THEIR DIPLOMA Enrollment of High School From District Enrollment Which Graduated of Respondents Median Mean Under 5,000 699 1,098 5,001 - 10,000 725 1,107 10,001 - 20,000 1,487 1,441 Above 20,000 750 1,000 Total 700 1,115 25 Summary After analyzing the responses of 355 superin- tendents of public school districts in the state of Michigan, the author found that the ”typical” superin- tendent was male, forty-eight years of age, most likely to have spent most of his life prior to college in a rural or town setting with a population of less than ten thousand people, and graduated from a high school of seven hundred students. CHAPTER III ANALYSIS OF THE DATA: PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Age of Entering Education As a group, 77.6 percent of the superintendents of Michigan's public school districts accepted their first full-time position in education between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-six, with the median being 23.9 years and the range extending from age eighteen to age thirty-nine. The mode, or most frequently cited starting age, was twenty-two. In addition, 95 percent of the superintendents accepted their first position in education by the age of thirty. There is one slight difference between the nation- wide AASA study of 1970 and the author's 1976 Michigan analysis. While the mean age in both cases was very similar, 24.4 (AASA) and 24.0 (author), there was almost a full year's difference in the median, 23.0 (AASA) to 23.9 (author). As seen in Table 8, there do not seem to be any significant differences in starting ages between 26 27 TABLE 8 AGE WHEN EMPLOYED IN FIRST FULL-TIME POSITION IN PUBLIC EDUCATION Size of Current Superintendency Age Under 5,001 - 10,001 - Above 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils % % % % % No Response 1.0 2.5 12.5 1.4 18 1.0 .8 19 .7 2.5 .8 20 2.1 2.5 2.0 21 10.1 17.5 12.5 10.4 22 13.9 22.5 21.1 12.5 15.2 23 14.6 2.5 15.8 25.0 13.5 24 14.9 15.5 10.5 14.4 25 10.8 20.0 10.5 25.0 12.1 26 11.1 10.0 36.8 12.1 27 5.6 5.3 4.5 28 4.5 5.0 12.5 4.8 29 2.1 1.7 30 1.7 1.4 31 1.0 .8 32 2.1 1.7 33 .3 .3 34 1.0 .8 35 .3 .3 36 .3 .3 37 .3 .3 38 0 39 .3 .3 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Mean 24.3 22.75 24.5 23.9 24.0 Mode 24.0 22.0 26.0 23.0 22.0 28 superintendents who hold positions in districts of dif- fering size (enrollment). Initial Position The superintendents were asked to indicate the grade level of their first full-time position in edu- cation by selecting one of the following three choices: elementary, secondary or other. In addition they were asked to note if they had any extra-curricular responsi— bilities in conjunction with that position. The author found great similarity between his findings and the results of a similar question in the national survey conducted by AASA in 1970. In 1970, 22.8 percent of the nation's superintendents held this first full-time position in grades 1-6 while 63.4 percent were employed at the secondary level and 13.8 percent in other positions. Michigan's superintendents of schools in 1976 also tended to come from its secondary schools, as 79.2 percent of the group took their initial job in public education in grades 7-12. Only 18.6 percent got their start in elementary schools while 2.3 percent held a job which fell into the ”other” category (junior col- lege, university or not Specific grade level responsi- bility in a K-12 district). There were no significant differences in the entry levels of the superintendents of three of the four 29 enrollment categories. The only category Showing a dis- similarity was that of the ten to twenty thousand student school districts. This group showed 68.4 percent of the superintendents being initially trained for secondary school work, as opposed to the statewide figure of 79.2 percent. The study showed that 77.5 percent of the superin- tendents had at least one extra-curricular responsibility in connection with their first assignment. Extra-curricu- lar responsibilities are defined as assignments to super- vise student activities that take place outside the school day. The data regarding the superintendents' first full-time position and extra-curricular responsibility are summarized in Tables 9 and 10. Teaching Experience As expected, the superintendent invariably began as a classroom teacher. The median number of years spent as a classroom teacher prior to entering the field of school administration was 5.0, while the mean was 6.1 years. The maximum number of years of teaching exper- ience prior to administration was nineteen, while only two superintendents accepted an administrative post without any teaching experience whatsoever. The results 30 TABLE 9 FIRST FULL-TIME POSITION IN EDUCATION HELD BY SUPERINTENDENTS Size of Current Superintendency Type . . Under 5,001 - 10,001 - Above P°51t1°n . 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils % % % % % Elementary 17.1 22.5 21.1 25.0 18.6 Secondary 80.2 77.5 68.4 75.0 79.2 Other 2.1 0 10.5 0 2.3 TABLE 10 EXTRA-CURRICULAR RESPONSIBILITIES IN FIRST POSITION IN EDUCATION Size of Current Superintendency Under 5,001 - 10,001 - Above 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils % % % % % Yes 78.5 70.0 78.9 75.0 77.5 No 21.5 30.0 21.1 25.0 22.5 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 31 were very similar to the 1970 national figures compiled by AASA when they found a median of 5.0 and a mean of 6.4 years.1 Of some significance is the fact that superin- tendents in districts enrolling more than five thousand students seemed to have spent less time in the classroom than did their counterparts in districts of less than five thousand pupils. In fact, the median number of years of classroom experience for superintendents in districts with more than twenty thousand students was only half of the state average, 2.5 years. A summary of the data regarding classroom teach- ing experience prior to accepting an administrative or supervisory post is found in Table 11. TABLE 11 YEARS OF CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE PRIOR TO ENTERING ADMINISTRATION ’ District Enrollment Experience Range Median Mean 5,001 - 10,000 1 - 16 4.9 6.7 10,001 - 20,000 0 - 15 3.4 4.4 Above 20,000 2 - 8 2.5 3.8 Total 0 - 19 5.0 6.1 lIbid., p. 27. 32 Initial Administrative Position Responses to the question regarding the age when superintendents were first appointed to administrative or supervisory positions revealed a clear pattern: the larger the school district employing the superintendent, the younger the superintendent probably was when he accepted his first public school administrative or supervisory position. The median ages for starting administrative work in the four enrollment categories were as follows: 30.4 (under five thousand pupils), 28.8 (five to ten thousand pupils), 27.6 (ten to twenty thousand pupils) and 25.5 (above twenty thousand pupils). The statewide median age at which superintendents entered the field of public school administration was 29.9, with the age range being twenty-one to forty-nine. Interestingly, the age range for the ”above twenty thousand pupils" category was twenty-four to thirty-one, the narrowest of all four groups. This seems to agree with the aforementioned findings concerning classroom teaching experience prior to accepting an administrative or supervisory position. The AASA study of 1970 showed the same trend, with the median age at entering administration 26.0 for superintendents of districts of more than one hundred 33 thousand pupils as compared to a median age of 29.0 for all superintendents.2 TABLE 12 AGE AT ENTERING FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION District Enrollment Age Range Median Age Mean Age Under 5,000 21-49 30.4 30.8 5,001 - 10,000 23-37 28.8 30.4 10,001 - 20,000 23-39 27.7 28.4 Above 20,000 24—31 25.5 26.8 Total 21-49 29.9 30.6 The second question dealing with the superin- tendents' initial positions was: What was the nature of your first administrative or supervisory position? Just as superintendents reported nationwide in the 1970 AASA study, the vast majority, 60.6 percent of Michigan's superintendents began their administrative careers as building principals.3 The AASA figure was 59.1 percent in 1970. What was surprising to the author was the fact that 11.5 percent of the respondents moved directly into the superintendency without first holding any other administrative posts. Ranking second as the most common ”access” position was that of assistant principal. It was named by 12.4 per- cent of the superintendents as their first administrative job. 2 3 Ibid., p. 28. Ibid., p. 29. 34 Other than in the “above twenty thousand pupil" category, which saw a wide distribution of initial admin- istrative experiences, the most common response in all enrollment groups was that of building principal. Of interest is the fact that 55 percent of the superintendents secured their initial administrative assignment by the age of thirty and 85 percent by the age of thirty-five. Table 13 summarizes the data from all student enrollment categories regarding the nature of the superin- tendents' initial administrative position. Initial Superintendency In 1976, the practicing superintendent in Michigan accepted his first superintendency, on the average, just before his thirty-seventh birthday. This came approxi- mately seven years after the acceptance of his first administrative position. The mean and median for this category on a statewide basis were both 36.9 years. This figure is almost identical to that shown in the AASA study of 1970.4 There was very little overall variance when the state was subdivided and analyzed by student enrollment categories. Perhaps the only significant difference was in the range of ages at which the respondents accepted 4Ibid., p. 31. 35 TABLE 13 NATURE OF FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION Size of Current Superintendency Position Under 5,001 - 10,001 - Above 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils % % % % % Assistant Principal 11.1 22.5 5.3 25.0 12.4 Principal 62.5 50.0 68.4 25.0 60.6 Supervisor 1.0 2.5 10.5 12.5 2.0 Director 7.3 5.0 5.3 12.5 7.0 Assistant Superintendent 6.6 5.0 5.3 12.5 6.5 Superintendent 11.5 15.0 5.3 12.5 11.5 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 36 their first superintendency. There were no superin- tendents in districts with more than twenty thousand students that were first appointed before the age of thirty. Yet, statewide, 16 percent of the superin- tendents took their initial superintendency before that age. As a contrast, 76 percent of the group had their "baptism" by the age of forty-one and 91 percent by the age of forty-five. The data regarding the ages of appointment to the respondents' first superintendencies are presented in Table 14. The size of the school district to which the superintendent was first appointed, as measured by student enrollment, varied considerably when the responses were analyzed by the current enrollment categories (Table 15). The median enrollment in that first job ranged from 1,025 in the currently "under five thousand” student category to 18,300 in the "above twenty thousand” student classification. The total sample median enrollment was 1,141 and the mean 2,482. The superintendent's first salary in his first school district was likely to be $13,000, since that was the median starting compensation for the 355 respondents. The mean for the group was $14,550. 37 TABLE 14 AGE AT APPOINTMENT TO FIRST SUPERINTENDENCY —; *. ... -m‘.—""“—:.== Size of Current Superintendency Age Under 5,001 — 10,001 - Above 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils % % % % % No Response 2.5 .3 22 .3 .3 24 .7 .6 25 .7 5.0 1.1 26 2.8 2.3 27 4.2 2.5 5.3 3.9 28 3.5 5.0 10.5 3.9 29 4.9 2.5 4.2 30 2.1 10.0 25.0 3.9 31 4.2 7.5 4.2 32 4.5 2.5 5.3 4.2 33 4.2 5.0 5.3 4.2 34 4.9 10.5 25.0 5.1 35 6.9 2.5 12.5 6.2 36 5.2 5.0 4.8 37 3.5 5.0 5.3 3.7 38 4.9 5.0 5.3 4.8 39 6.6 5.0 15.8 6.8 40 5.9 7.5 5.6 41 6.6 10.0 10.5 12.5 7.3 42 5.9 7.5 5.3 5.9 43 3.8 12.5 3.4 44 2.4 5.0 2.5 45 3.5 2.5 12.5 3.4 46 3.8 5.3 3.4 47 1.4 1.1 48 .3 5.3 .6 49 1.0 .8 50 .7 5.3 .8 53 .3 .3 54 2.5 .3 56 .3 .3 57 5.3 .3 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Mean 36.7 37.4 38.6 36.5 36.9 Median 36.8 37.0 38.7 34.5 36.9 Mode 35.0 30.0 39.0 30.0 41.0 38 TABLE 15 DISTRICT ENROLLMENT IN FIRST SUPERINTENDENCY . . Median Mean District Enrollment Enrollment Enrollment Under 5,000 students 1,025 1,476 5,001 - 10,000 students 3,410 3,855 10,001 - 20,000 students 6,800 8,110 Above 20,000 students 18,310 18,475 Total 1,141 2,482 Interestingly, this compares very favorably with the salaries discovered in the 1970 AASA study. That work showed the nation's superintendents receiving a median wage of $6,610 for their first superintendency. The mean figure was $8,409.5 The author believes there are two basic reasons for the higher figures in his Michigan study: six years of steady inflation and the effects of collective bargain- ing on the part of teachers. As teachers' salaries have risen, those of administrators have also followed suit. Following the pattern of the larger the school district the higher the salary, Table 16, as expected, shows a substantial difference between the median initial salary of the ”under five thousand student” superintendents, $12,000, and ”above twenty thousand student” superinten- dents, $19,500. 51bid., p. 37. 39 TABLE 16 STARTING SALARY IN FIRST SUPERINTENDENCY District Enrollment Median Salary Mean Salary Under 5,000 students $12,000 $13,410 5,001 - 10,000 students 18,050 18,710 10,001 - 20,000 students 18,000 19,526 Above 20,000 students 19,500 22,994 Total $13,000 $14,550 Salary As previously indicated, the median starting salary, statewide, was $13,000. Naturally, after a number of years in the position, that figure would have changed considerably. The current median salary (1975—76 school year) is much greater since such factors as exper- ience, inflation, movement to a larger district (greater responsibility and higher pay) and collective bargaining of teacher salaries have served to increase the rate of compensation in the 8.7 years since the ”average“ (median) superintendent accepted his first superintendency. The median salary of all superintendents of Michigan's public, K-12 school districts for the 1975-76 school year was $28,000, with the mean for this same group $28,712. (See Table 17). As expected, the salaries rose as the student enrollment categories increased. The author found the following median salaries in the four enrollment clas- sifications (see page 40). 40 Enrollment Median Supt.'s Salary Under 5,000 pupils $26,785 5,001 - 10,000 pupils 34,250 10,001 - 20,000 pupils 38,055 Above 20,000 pupils 42,100 TABLE 17 ANNUAL SALARIES OF SUPERINTENDENTS, 1975-76 District Enrollment Median Salary Mean Salary Under 5,000 students $26,785 $26,857 5,001 - 10,000 students 34,250 34,645 10,001 - 20,000 students 38,055 38,557 Above 20,000 students 42,100 42,450 Total $28,000 $28,712 Interestingly, the median starting salaries for the superintendents in those groups, as noted in Table 16, were $12,000, $18,050, $18,000 and $19,500. In the years since they joined the ranks of superintendents of schools, the individuals' salaries have more than doubled in three of the above four categories. The writer found a discrepancy between his find- ings and that of another salary study conducted by the Michigan Association of School Administrators (MASA) that same year.6 The statewide median salary in the latter study was $27,040, compared to the author's findings of $28,000. 6Michigan Association of School Administrators, Salary Study, Lansing, Michigan, 1976, p. 2. 41 A possible explanation of the difference is that some of the group incorporated the amount of the retire- ment contribution (5 percent of salary) paid by their local board of education in their salary figure. Since board payment of the contribution was not mandatory at the time of the survey, it is possible that amount was added into the salary amount listed in the survey by the respondents. The previously noted MASA survey did show that 76.5 percent of the superintendents had their retirement contribution paid by their local boards of education. Since the author did not have a separate question on fringe benefits such as ”retirement con- tribution,” it is possible this was done. The already noted effects of such things as inflation, collective bargaining in the public sector and inflation can dramatically be seen when Michigan's 1975-76 salaries are contrasted with those which were reported in the AASA study of 1970. The median and mean salaries for the nation's public school superintendents were $17,310 and $17,433 for that school year.7 Mobility_of Superintendents More than one-half of the respondents in the state (54.8 percent) have only served in one school 7American Association of School Administrators, Profile of the American School Superintendent (Washington, D.C.: 1960), p. 38. 42 district as superintendent of schools. The other 45.2 per- cent of the superintendents have served in from two to six school districts. The author found that 91.4 percent of the group had served in three or less districts, with the mean for all cases being 1.79 districts and the median 1.42. The 91.4 percent is close to the findings of the 1970 AASA study, which showed that 87.4 percent of the nation's superintendents had served in three or less districts. The above figures certainly challenge somewhat the theory of the mobility of superintendents. The vast majority of the state's school superintendents have worked in three or less districts, with the bulk of those in either one or two school districts. TABLE 18 MOBILITY OF SUPERINTENDENTS No of Size of Current Superintendency Dgzfiiggts Under 5,001 - 10,001 - Above 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils % % % % % 1 56.3 48.7 36.8 75.0 54.8 2 25.0 17.9 21.1 23.4 3 12.8 15.4 21.1 13.3 4 4.2 10.3 21.1 12.5 5.9 5 1.4 7.7 2.0 6 .3 12.5 .6 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 43 Further analysis of the mobility of superintendents showed that 91 percent of the 355 surveyed have served only in the state of Michigan. Only three superintendents served in more than two states and two of the three are employed in districts of ten to twenty thousand students. In districts of less than ten thousand students, 93 percent of the superintendents have served only in Michigan. However, in districts of more than ten thousand students, only 67 percent of the respondents can make this claim. It is clear that there is more of a tendency for larger school districts to consider and employ peOple with out-of—state experience when compared with the hiring practices of districts of lesser size. Three-fourths (75.5 percent) of the respondents had occupied their current superintendency for ten years or less. The median time Spent in their current job was 5.7 years, with the mean 7.3 years (see Table 20). There was only one significant difference when the responses were analyzed by enrollment groups: the median number of years the superintendents in the ten to twenty thousand student bracket had held their jobs was only 4.0. The author found that more than a third of the group had spent three or less years in their current assignment, with thirty-four years being the longest tenure of any individual. Once again, the ten to twenty thousand student category showed less ”permanency,” with longest term of service only nine years. 44 TABLE 19 NUMBER OF STATES IN WHICH SUPERINTENDENTS HAVE SERVED Size of Current Superintendency No. of States in Which Under 5,001 - 10,001 - Above Served 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils % % % % % No response 1.4 1.1 1 93.1 92.5 63.2 75.0 91.0 2 5.2 7.5 26.3 25.0 7.0 3 .3 5.3 .6 4 5.3 .3 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Mean 1.0 1.1 1.5 1.3 1.1 Mode 1.0 1.0 1.3 1.2 1.0 Range 1-3 1-2 1-4 1-2 1-4 45 TABLE 20 NUMBER OF YEARS IN PRESENT SUPERINTENDENCY Size of Current Superintendency No. of Years in Present . Under 5,001 - 10,001 - Above SUPerlntendenCY 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils % % % % % No response .6 5.0 1.2 1 14.6 10.0 21.1 14.1 2 9.0 10.0 12.6 8.7 3 8.7 12.5 21.1 12.5 9.9 4 8.0 2.5 15.8 12.5 7.9 5 7.3 5.0 10.5 25.0 7.6 6 5.2 10.0 15.8 12.5 6.5 7 6.3 7.5 5.3 6.2 8 4.2 7.5 5.3 4.5 9 7.3 7.5 5.3 7.0 10 2.8 2.3 11 4.2 3.4 12 4.9 2.5 4.2 13 4.9 2.5 12.5 4.5 14 1.0 .8 15 2.4 2.0 16 2.4 2.5 2.3 17 1.4 2.5 1.4 18 1.4 2.5 1.4 19 .3 .3 20 2.5 .3 22 2.5 12.5 .6 23 .3 .3 24 1.0 .8 25 .3 5.0 .8 27 .3 .3 30 .3 .3 31 .3 .3 34 .3 .3 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Mean 7.5 7.6 4.2 7.5 7.3 Median 5.9 6.0 4.0 5.0 5.7 Range 1-34 1-25 1-9 1-22 1-34 46 Number of Years in First SuperIntendency Approximately two-thirds (67.9 percent) of the respondents spent six years or less in their first superintendency, with 80 percent occupying their first such assignment nine years or less. The median number of years spent in their initial superintendency was 4.1, while the mean was 6.1. The only significant variance was found in the group serving in districts of ten to twenty thousand students. The median and mean figures for those superin- tendents were 3.4 and 4.5 years, respectively. It is apparent that these people moved on to a second assign- ment much more quickly than did those in the other enrollment categories. Table 21 presents a summary of the data regarding the number of years spent by the respondents in their first public school superintendency. Years in Succeeding Superintendencies The author found that while more than half (54.8 percent) of Michigan's superintendents had only served in one school district as superintendent of schools, those that went on to other districts tended to serve as long in each of their succeeding superin- tendencies as they did in their initial appointment. While there were some individual differences in the NUMBER OF YEARS IN FIRST SUPERINTENDENCY 47 TABLE 21 Size of Current Superintendency Years Under 5,001 - 10,00 - Above 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils % % % % % No Response 1.7 1.7 2.5 1 12.1 13.2 10.0 12.5 2 13.8 12.8 20.0 15.8 12.5 3 14.1 12.5 15.0 36.8 12.5 4 13.8 13.9 10.0 21.1 12.5 5 6.2 5.9 5.0 5.3 25.0 6 6.2 6.6 7.5 7 5.4 5.9 2.5 5.3 8 3.9 3.8 2.5 10.5 9 3.7 3.8 5.0 10-12 6.7 7.6 5.0 13-15 4.6 4.8 5.3 12.5 16-18 4.0 4.1 5.0 19-20 .9 .6 2.5 21-25 1.8 1.0 5.0 26-30 .9 .6 2.5 31-34 .6 .6 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Mean 6.1 6.1 6.7 4.5 6.9 Median 4.1 4.2 3.8 3.4 4.5 Range 1-34 1-34 1-30 1-14 1-13 48 various enrollment categories, the mean number of years spent in the first through fifth superintendencies by those respondents did not Show unusual differences (Table 22). TABLE 22 MEAN NUMBER OF YEARS SPENT IN FIRST THROUGH SIXTH SUPERINTENDENCY Years Spent in Each Group Superintendency lst 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Under 5,000 pupils 6.1 5.7 6.7 8.5 4.2 1.0 5,001 - 10,000 pupils 6.7 5.8 5.5 7.7 12.0 10,001 - 20,000 pupils 4.5 3.6 5.4 4.7 Above 20,000 pupils 6.9 4.5 3.0 2.5 6 Total 6.1 5.5 6.3 7.5 . 1.0 It must be noted, however, that only 23.4 percent of the superintendents served in two districts, 13.3 per- cent in three, 5.9 percent in four, 2.0 percent in five and .6 in six districts. The means were computed only on those who served in those numbers of districts and the length of their tenure. Experience as a Superintendent As briefly noted in the portion of this chapter dealing with salary, the median number of years of experience as a superintendent for the incumbents was 8.7. The only group that seemed to differ appreciably 49 from that figure was that composed of superintendents in districts of more than twenty thousand students. The median number of years experience for them was 5.5, although the mean for the group was very close to that of the other enrollment categories. While the longest length of service in the position of superintendent of schools was forty years, more than three out of four respondents (77.5 percent) had fifteen years or less experience. Of note is the fact that no superintendent of a district of more than ten thousand students had less than three years experience as a superintendent. Length of Contract The most common length of contract for superin- tendents in Michigan was three years. More than half of the superintendents (53.2 percent) had a contract of that duration. This applied in all student enrollment categories and in one group of districts, the five to ten thousand student classification, 70 percent of the superintendents had a three-year contract. The reader should be reminded that Michigan law limits contracts for superintendents of third and fourth class districts to a maximum of three years. The maximum limits it imposes on first and second class districts are six and five years, respectively. 50 TABLE 23 EXPERIENCE AS A SUPERINTENDENT Size of Current Superintendency No. of Years Under 5,001 - 10,001 - Above Total 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 % Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils % % % % No Response .7 .6 1 8.3 5.0 7.3 2 4.9 5.0 4.5 3 5.6 10.0 10.5 12.5 6.5 4 6.3 2.5 10.5 12.5 6.2 5 5.6 7.5 5.3 25.0 6.2 6 6.3 2.5 5.4 7 7.6 5.0 5.3 7.0 8 4.9 5.0 15.8 5.4 9 5.6 10.0 10.5 6.2 10 2.8 2.5 5.3 2.8 11 5.6 5.3 4.8 12 5.2 10.5 4.8 13 3.5 25.0 3.4 14 1.0 7.5 1.7 15 4.2 5.0 15.8 4.8 16 3.8 7.5 12.5 4.2 17 1.0 .8 18 2.8 5.0 2.8 19 1.4 1.1 20 2.8 2.3 21 2.1 1.8 22 .3 2.5 12.5 .8 23 1.7 2.5 1.7 24 1.4 5.3 1.4 25 1.7 7.5 2.3 26 .3 ' .3 27 .7 2.5 .8 29 .3 .3 30 2.5 .3 34 .7 .6 37 ' 2.5 .3 40 .3 .3 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Mean 10.2 12.2 9.6 10.1 10.4 Median 8.5 9.3 8.8 5.5 8.7 Range 1-40 1-37 3-24 3-22 1-40 51 The respondents were asked to check the length, in years, of the full term of their contract. They were asked to choose from six possibilities: one year, two years, three years, four years, five years or more, and indefinite. Table 24 shows the data obtained. TABLE 24 LENGTH OF PRESENT CONTRACT ——..———.. Size of Current Superintendency Length of Contract Under 5,001 - 10,001 - Above (Years) 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils % % % % % No Response .6 12.5 .9 1 17.0 2.5 5.3 14.4 2 30.2 12.5 15.8 26.8 3 50.7 70.0 52.6 62.5 53.2 4 7 10.5 1.1 5 or more 10.0 15.8 12.5 2.3 Indefinite .7 5.0 12.5 1.4 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Mean 2.4 3.2 3.2 3.3 2.5 Median 2.6 3.0 3.1 3.1 2.7 Mode 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 When compared with the nation's superintendents in 1970, Michigan's chief school executives have far more contractual security. Only 23.8 percent of the superin- tendents in the AASA survey of that year had a contract of three years. In fact, 50.6 percent had contracts for either one or two years. 8Ibid., p. 41. 52 Career Pattern With few exceptions, Michigan's public school superintendents began their public school careers as classroom teachers. Of the 355 superintendents who responded to the survey, 348 (98 percent) started their education careers as teachers. As illustrated in Table 25, two people failed to respond to the question, one began as a building principal, one as a superintendent in a rural community, one as a suburban superintendent and two as supervisor/directors. The 98 percent figure can be compared with AASA'S 1970 nationwide findings of 95.7 per- cent.9 TABLE 25 FIRST EDUCATIONAL ASSIGNMENT OF SUPERINTENDENTS Position Number Percentage No Response 2 .6 Classroom teacher 348 98.0 Assistant principal Principal 1 .3 Supervisor/director 2 .6 Assistant Superintendent Rural Superintendent l .3 Small town Superintendent Suburban Superintendent l .3 Urban Superintendent Total 355 100.0 9 Ibid., p. 30. 53 The 1970 survey by AASA reported the data in the area of career pattern by showing the percentage of superintendents who have held various educational positions other than the superintendency. The results of the survey would be graphed in the following way: 95.7% 70.6% 15.8% 15 1% 13.3% l l I J Classroom Principal Assistant Assistant Director/ Teacher Principal Superin- Supervisor tendent The author felt that this approach clearly indi- cated the various experiences that had been a part of the career patterns of the state's superintendents. A comparison of the 1976 results in Michigan showed similar findings in all but one area: assistant superintendent. In 1970, 15.1 percent of the nation's superintendents had held this post, slightly more than a third (34.7 percent) of the superintendents practicing in Michigan in 1976 had, at one time or another, held the post of assistant or associate superintendent of schools. The data are presented on page 54 in the same type of graph used by AASA in 1970. 54 98.0% 78.4% 34.7% 16.8% 17.0% Classroom Principal Assistant Supervisor/ Assistant Teacher Principal Director Superin- tendent After their initial classroom teaching experience, 59.2 percent of the superintendents moved directly into a building principalship in their second assignment. This was by far the most common second step in the career ladder of the superintendents, as seen in Table 26. The next most common "second step" was that of assistant principal, which was the position next gained by 13.5 percent of the group. The author found that 9.6 percent of the respondents had moved directly to a rural superintendency following their classroom experience. In analyzing the career patterns of the respon- dents, it was discovered that 257 of the 355 superin- tendents, 72.4 percent had moved to their present position after holding three or less previous assignments. Further, 316 of the 355 superintendents, 89 percent, had reached their current assignment after four or less assignments. The superintendents' movement from one assignment or position to another involved more than one district in 80.6 percent of the cases. Only 19.4 percent of the 55 superintendents reached their current position by ascend- ing the ”ladder" within one school district. TABLE 26 SECOND EDUCATIONAL ASSIGNMENT OF SUPERINTENDENTS -d—OC—M“-W—.- g... ---‘----»——- .- Position Number Percentage No Response 3 .8 Classroom Teachers 0 0 Assistant Principal 48 0 Principal 210 59.2 Supervisor/Director 25 7.0 Assistant Superintendent 26 7.3 Rural Superintendent 34 9.6 Small Town Superintendent 5 1.4 Suburban Superintendent 4 1.1 Urban Superintendent 0 0 Total 355 100.0 In summary, the superintendent invariably began as a classroom teacher, commonly moved on to a building principalship and tended to arrive at his current position after a total of three or four moves, some of which required him to change school districts. Noneducational Work Experience The superintendents were asked if they were ”employed on a full-time basis in noneducational positions for a period of one year or more Since graduating from college." The author found that 36.3 percent of the group answered "yes” to the question. 56 The percentage of the respondents having held a full-time job outside the field of education varied considerably from one student enrollment classification to another, as seen in Table 27. TABLE 27 FULL-TIME EXPERIENCE IN NONEDUCATION WORK Size of Current Superintendency Experience in Non- educational gnggg $60330- $8,001 - Above Work? , . ,. ,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils % % % % % Yes 35.6 42.5 42.1 25.0 36.3 No 64.4 57.5 57.9 75.0 63.7 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Viewed as a percentage of those having full-time, noneducational work experience, only 25 percent of the superintendents working in districts of more than twenty thousand students had noneducational work experience. This compares with more than a 42 percent figure for superintendents in districts with student enrollments between five and twenty thousand pupils. Comparison of the results with the AASA study of 1970 shows a difference of 7.6 percent. The AASA study revealed that 44 percent of the nation's superintendents had been employed for more than a year on a full-time basis in a noneducational position.10 1°Ihid., p. 31. 57 The second part of the question asked those who had held such positions to indicate the type of non- educational employment: military, business or other. The first two categories fit 88.3 percent of the positive respondents and 31.9 percent of all superintendents. Table 28 shows the type of noneducational work experiences of the state's superintendents. TABLE 28 POST-COLLEGE NONEDUCATIONAL POSITIONS HELD BY SUPERINTENDENTS FOR ONE YEAR OR LONGER Size of Current Superintendency Type of Position Under 5,001 - 10,001 - Above 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils % % % % % No Noned. Employment 64.4 57.5 57.9 75.0 63.7 Military 12.9 27.5 31.5 25.0 16.1 Business 17.9 10.0 5.3 15.8 Other 4.7 5.0 5.3 4.5 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Reflection The last question in the section of the survey dealing with the superintendents' professional experience and career pattern was "If you had to do it all over again, you would choose a career in": --The school superintendency --Another type of school administrative or supervisory position 58 --Another position in education --A noneducational field of work The author found that more than three-fourths (77.7 percent) of the superintendents in Michigan would again choose the superintendency as a career. The only group that did not seem to feel as strongly in favor of it was that of the ten to twenty thousand student enroll- ment category. Only 68.4 percent of the superintendents of districts of that size indicated they would make the superintendency their first career choice. The second most frequent choice was "a nonedu- cational field of work” (11.5 percent). Once again, superintendents in ten to twenty thousand student dis- tricts had a different pattern to their responses as 26.3 percent responded that they would seek a career outside the field of education if they "had it to do over again.“ It is clear that not only would the superin- tendents be likely to retrace their steps again, but 54 percent of those who would not choose the superin- tendency would leave the field of education completely. For those peOple, it was either the superintendency or nothing in the field of education. 59 m. m.HH m.m m.m h.hh Hmuoa m.~H m.~e o.me manage ooo.o~ o>on< m.om m.m «.mo needed ooo.o~ I Hoo.oa o.mH o.oH o.me nfleoan ooo.oa I Hoo.m m. 3.03 ~.e m.m m.me naenao ooo.m Home: A m m w w coflumospm cowuflmom Uncommom paoem EH nodumuumacweom aocoocoucfluwmsm oz COHOEUSOOGOZ coHuHmom Hoosom Hoonom nonuocd Hosuocd acofiaaoucm bowuumwo ”scH Hooumo m omooso paoos 50> ecflmmm uo>o Op 0» we on: :0» NH: szoa mm>o mmoomo oqaoo smme EH mmoHomo mummmo .mezmozmeszmmom mm mflmda 60 Summary The superintendent of schools of a public school district serving kindergarten through twelfth grade in the state of Michigan typically accepted his first full- time position in education before his twenty—fourth birth- day. He, along with more than 79 percent of his colleagues, began his career teaching at the secondary level (grades seven through twelve). During his work at that level he likely had at least one extra-curricular responsibility. After five years as a classroom teacher, he moved into an administrative position, more than likely as a building principal. If the superintendent is now in a larger district, he moved into the field of administration earlier than his counterparts in smaller schools. The average superintendent accepted his first superintendency just before he turned age thirty-seven. The median student enrollment of that first district was 1,141, with the salary set at $13,000. That starting salary has now increased to a current median wage of $28,000. This would be included in a contract written for two or three years. Ninety-one percent of the superintendents have served only in the state of Michigan and in three or less districts. However, if the superintendent is employed in a district of more than ten thousand, there is a greater tendency for him to have previously served in another state. 61 Superintendents have been in their current assign- ments 5.7 years (median) and Spent more than four years in their initial superintendency. The median number of years of total experience as a superintendent is 8.7, although those serving in districts with more than twenty thousand students had only 5.5 years of experience as a school superintendent. Slightly more than 36 percent of superintendents were employed on a full-time basis in a noneducational position for at least one year graduating from college, including military experience. Finally, 77.7 percent of the superintendents would again choose the superintendency as their career, although this was not reflected quite as strongly in districts enrolling between ten and twenty thousand youngsters. CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS OF THE DATA: PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION The category of "professional preparation" includes data gathered on the university degrees obtained by the superintendents of schools as well as their judg- ment regarding the importance of graduate study in twenty different courses of study. Degrees Earned As expected, every superintendent possessed at least a bachelor's degree, with three out of four of the superintendents, 74.6 percent, acquiring their degrees from institutions within the state of Michigan. This same general ratio also applied when the data were analyzed by the size of the district employing the respondent. The author's findings also showed that the master's degree was just as prevalent as the bachelor's diploma, with only one respondent, .3 percent, indicating he did not hold a master's degree. 62 63 The tendency to obtain their degree from an in- state institution was even more pronounced at the master's level than it was at the bachelor's. The writer found that 85.1 percent of the superintendents received their master's degrees from universities within the state of Michigan. When this was analyzed by enrollment category, only one group differed from this pattern: superintendents of ten to twenty thousand student districts. AS seen in Table 30, only 47.4 percent of these superintendents took their master's degrees in this state. The author can offer no apparent reason for this departure from the statewide pattern. TABLE 30 STATE IN WHICH MASTER'S DEGREE WAS EARNED ._.._-.‘.-——. ————-— *7 —--e. -’ W - _._.__ __ .. ”~— ——————n—-.- fl- .. .-m ..- .——- —. — "M“...— —.....-—-———- -flfl-m“-‘~‘-‘ ._ _—-—- Percentage of Superintendents District Enrollment Earning Master's Degree from Michigan Universities Under 5,000 88.2 5,001 — 10,000 80.0 10,001 - 20,000 47.4 Above 20,000 87.5 Total 85.1 The data also showed that 80.6 percent of the master's degrees granted to the superintendents were in the area of educational administration. This can be compared with the figure of 69.6 percent discovered by 64 the AASA study of 1970.1 Again, as noted in Table 31, the ten to twenty thousand student enrollment category differed significantly from the rest of the group, with 68.4 percent indicating school administration as their major field of study at the master's level. TABLE 31 SUPERINTENDENTS' MAJOR FIELD OF STUDY FOR MASTER'S DEGREE Percentage of Superintendents District Enrollment Earning Master's Degree in Educational Administration Under 5,000 81.6 5,001 - 10,000 77.5 10,001 - 20,000 68.4 Above 20,000 87.5 Total 80.6 It is at the next level of graduate study where a major separation takes place in the amount of formal preparation acquired by Michigan's school superintendents. Whereas 99.7 percent of chief school executives held master's degrees, only 29 percent had obtained the degree of "educational specialist." This would compare to the 1970 nationwide total reported by AASA of 16.3 percent.2 Also of interest is the fact that 95.2 percent of the "specialist" degrees were obtained from universi- ties within the state of Michigan. Another point to be lIbid., p. 44. 2Ibid. 65 considered is that a number of superintendents who obtain doctorates do not enroll in specialist curricula, but instead attain the higher doctoral degree after their master's work with no intervening Specialist's degree. As would be expected of people who had committed to the field of school administration, 87.7 percent of the specialist degrees awarded to Michigan's school superintendents had educational administration as the major course of study. Continuing the trend noted nationally in 1970, more than one-fifth, 21.4 percent, of the superintendents had completed their doctorate. As seen in Table 32, the percentage of superintendents with doctoral degrees increased dramatically for schools over five thousand students. While only 15.6 percent of the chief school officers of districts under five thousand students held a doctorate, the percentage for the five to ten thousand student group was almost twice as high, 30.0 percent. The figure for the ten to twenty thousand pupil category was nearly five times that of the smaller school dis- tricts, 73.7 percent. Surprisingly, the percentage for the largest classification, above twenty thousand stu- dents, dropped to 62.5 percent. This figure is affected, however, by the fact that the sample for that enrollment group is comparatively small, eight superintendents. 66 TABLE 32 SUPERINTENDENTS POSSESSING DOCTOR'S DEGREES —-_‘ ...--.-.. “t--- —. d...- . - -__.__.——-—_-—_——._. *- ~1—_—_-_._..__.~ -o._ _—_._._.—- n...— — e _ .m - , .._._ —_——..-.‘—..-- - -———.—.—~——- Percentage of Superintendents Possessing Doctor's Degrees ._-- m——- District Enrollment Under 5,000 15.6 5,001 - 10,000 30.0 10,001 - 20,000 73.7 Above 20,000 62.5 Total 21.4 Not unlike what was found at the master's and specialist's level, better than three out of four doc- torates were taken at Michigan institutions, 77.7 percent, and the same percentage, also 77.7, were in the field of educational administration. Age Beginning Graduate Work' When the author studied the ages at which the superintendents had begun their master's degrees, two things were clearly visible: the beginning age was lower than that of the national sample in 1970, and the larger the enrollment group the younger the superin- tendents were when they entered graduate school. In 1970, AASA reported that mean and median ages at which superintendents began their master‘s degree study were 28.8 and 28.1, respectively.3 Contrast that 3Ibid., p. 45. 67 with the mean and median ages found in Michigan in 1976: 26.5 and 25.8, respectively. As seen in Table 33, superintendents of schools of more than twenty thousand pupils started their master's degree study considerably earlier than did their counter- parts in districts of less than five thousand youngsters. The median age of the latter group was 26.0, as opposed to that of the large district respondents, 23.5. The median beginning ages for superintendents of the five to ten thousand student and ten to twenty thousand stu- dent classifications were also lower, 25.3 and 24.9. In short, the larger the district, the earlier the superintendent invariably began to pursue his master's degree. TABLE 33 AGE AT BEGINNING MASTER'S DEGREE STUDY District Enrollment Age Range Mean Median Under 5,000 20-52 26.8 26.0 5,001 - 10,000 20-35 25.4 25.3 10,001 - 20,000 21-33 25.1 24.9 Above 20,000 22-31 24.6 23.5 Total 20-52 26.5 25.8 A natural consequence of beginning graduate work at an earlier age is completing the master's degree earlier. Table 34 illustrates that not only did the larger school superintendents finish at a younger age, 68 they tended to complete their master's work slightly faster than did their colleagues in districts of less than five thousand pupils. TABLE 34 AGE AT CONCLUSION OF MASTER'S DEGREE -————-—.-._.-.—-—--_--.__.._.~o~ c——- _—-—.._———-_._.-. -_.__.___ __._..__.— ..__.. .—-— _.__—...—.- _._.. Difference . . Between Median District Age . . . Enrollment Range Mean Median Beginning and Ending Ages (Medians) Under 5,000 21-56 29.3 29.5 3.5 years 5,001 - 10,000 24-38 28.3 28.0 2.7 years 10,001 - 20,000 22-38 27.2 26.4 1.5 years Above 20,000 23—35 27.4 27.0 3.5 years Total 21-56 29.1 28.9 3.1 years The author's analysis of the age at which superin- tendents began graduate work beyond the master's degree leads him to believe that the specialist and doctorate degrees are generally considered as separate alternatives for school superintendents. While the responses of those holding doctorates were not studied to see how many respondents also held specialist degrees, the beginning and concluding ages for peOple holding each degree are very similar. In fact, as seen in Tables 35 and 36, both the mean and median ages for beginning doctoral work were lower than the age which holders of specialist degrees began their work. 69 TABLE 35 AGE AT WHICH SPECIALIST DEGREE WAS BEGUN AND CONCLUDED Age in Years Mean Median Range Beginning Age 34.6 34.5 24-29 Concluding Age 38.9 39.1 25-54 Difference (in years) 4.3 4.6 TABLE 36 AGE AT WHICH DOCTORATE DEGREE WAS BEGUN AND CONCLUDED Age in Years Mean Median Range Beginning Age 33.2 32.8 24-48 Concluding Age 38.8 39.2 29-50 Difference (in years) 5.6 6.4 70 The only Significant difference in the data shown in these two tables is in the length of time it took to obtain each degree. The median number of years it took to acquire the doctorate was 6.4, compared to a median of 4.6 years for the Specialist degree. This is only natural since the requirements for the former degree are greater. Interestingly, more than 87 percent of the state's school superintendents holding the doctorate began their doctoral work prior to age forty and completed it before age forty-five. Financing Graduate Work The author found a distinct pattern in the way the graduate work of Michigan's public school superin- tendents was financed: those working on their master's and specialist's degrees tended to provide their own financing, other than "veteran" benefits provided by the United States government, while those pursuing a doctorate were much more likely to receive financial assistance in the form of a fellowship or local district support. As seen in Table 37, only 8.3 percent of those holding master's degrees received a fellowship or assis- tantship to help offset the cost of obtaining the degree. It was even more pronounced at the specialist's level, 71 where only 4.9 percent received that type of assistance. That should be contrasted with the fact that 38.3 percent of the doctoral degree—holders had either a fellowship or assistantship. TABLE 37 FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR GRADUATE STUDY .__~ .—._._——— _._._. __ Percentage of Superintendents Receiving Financial Support While Pursuing the Type Of Support Following Degrees: Master's Specialist's Doctorate G.I. Bill 39.4 11.5 22.2 Fellowship/ Assistantship 8.3 4.8 38.3 Local school district .3 1.9 13.6 Also of note is the fact that 13.6 percent of the doctorate group were given financial support by the local district while they were on leave as opposed to .3 percent at the master's level. The figure of 38.3 percent for superintendents who received either a fellowship or assistantship stipend in connection with their doctoral work compares favorably with the 1970 AASA study that showed 35.2 percent of the nation's school superintendents receiving that type of financial assistance in pursuit of their doctorate.4 4Ibid., p. 50. 72 Table 38 shows that fulfillment of the commitment to graduate work required a loan by 15 percent of the superintendents holding doctorate degrees. Also of note is the fact that 6.7 percent of those with master's degrees had to seek a loan to complete their study. However, only 1 percent had to borrow funds to complete their Specialist degree. TABLE 38 SUPERINTENDENTS NEEDING LOANS TO COMPLETE THEIR STUDY mC- _. -——'— -~-#'_ ..—.— — -—_— -_‘——-_- —~—.—~__ —.-—.—- Percentage Needing Loans Level Of Study to Complete Their Study Master's degree 6.7 Specialist's degree 1.0 Doctorate ‘ 15.0 The author also found that while 84.5 percent of those with master's degrees obtained them while engaged in full-time employment, only 75 percent completed their doctoral work while holding down a full-time job. At the specialist level, 97.1 percent completed their degree while on the job. As expected, the superintendents generally received their master's degrees very early in their careers. The mean number of years of administrative experience when the master's degree was received was 1.1. Naturally, the mean number of years of administrative 73 experience when either the doctorate or specialist degree was conferred was considerably higher, 9.4 and 8.5 respectively. Evaluation of Graduate Programs Each superintendent was asked to respond to the following question: On the whole, how would you evaluate your program of graduate studies as preparation for the superintendency? As can be seen in Table 39, 63.7 percent of the superintendents evaluated their graduate studies as either excellent or good preparation for the superin- tendency. Those in the five to ten thousand student enrollment group were the most positive in that 72.5 per- cent felt that way while 68.4 percent of the superin- tendents of districts of ten to twenty thousand students were similarly inclined. Of interest is the fact that the latter group also had the highest percentage of respondents that rated their graduate programs as poor preparation, 15.8 percent. Table 39 summarizes the responses to the question dealing with program evaluation. Importance of Graduate Study After determining that the majority of Michigan's superintendents of schools felt positively about the quality of their graduate study, the author directed attention to the next series of questions dealing with 74 the importance of formal graduate study in twenty dif- ferent course areas. The superintendents were asked to indicate the importance of the advanced study by select- ing one of four ratings: essential, important, of some importance and unimportant. TABLE 39 SUPERINTENDENTS' EVALUATION OF GRADUATE STUDIES AS PREPARATION FOR THE SUPERINTENDENCY Percentage of Superintendents Rating District - Enrollment Graduate Studies as Follows. No Excel- . Response lent Good Fair Poor Total Under 5,000 .7 17.0 45.1 29.2 8.0 100.0 5,001 - 10,000 —- 12.5 60.0 22.5 5.0 100.0 10,001 - 20,000 -- 26.3 42.1 15.8 15.8 100.0 Above 20,000 -- 25.0 37.5 37.5 -- 100.0 Total .6 17.2 46.5 27.9 7.9 100.0 Table 40 reveals the manner in which the respon- dents evaluated the graduate courses while Table 41 ranks the various subject areas according to the per- centage of superintendents rating the areas as either ”essential” or ”important." It also categorizes the reSponses according to the size of the district in which the superintendent is employed. Based on the responses of the total group, it is clear that the two most important course areas were personnel administration and school business management. 75 "uhmz mcfl3oaaom on» CA mcwumm ommusoouom ~.e e.em o.oe m.ea m.~ cosponsoo suessssoo e.aH e.me e.e~ H.m H.m noeonSonunz m.o e.e~ o.ee m.ma m.~ neonate operands e.m m.am o.oe a.ee m.~ nonsense e.a o.- m.mm m.mm m.m snoop» O>Humuumwcweod m. m.ma H.me o.mm m.~ mandated Ocean Hoonom m. In o.m~ The o.~ unmade—acne mmmcwmon Hoonom m. m.a e.me e.ee o.m Eaesoeuuao e.~H m.oe e.~m e.~a m.~ aoeumosoo ho sanonoeean H.0H o.~e m.em H.oe m.m sooeoeoom e.m e.H~ m.oe H.~m m.~ noessaso nacho ~.o a.am e.me o.me m.~ noesosoom o.me m.ee ~.o m. H.m mosoeon Hooensnm a.m o.Hm m.ee o.oa o.~ sooaoaoSnn e.H o.e o.m~ a.mo e.H meoeunaou steam o. m.e m.e~ m.mo e.H naoeumemu unease m. m.e m.e~ ~.oe e.e aoeunnuneaeson . 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Regarding school finance, 84.8 percent felt it was an issue of great significance and an additional 13.5 percent called it significant. In fact, all superin— tendents of districts of more than five thousand students saw it as an issue of great significance. It is interesting to note that financing schools was also ranked as the number one issue by superintendents of districts of all sizes throughout the nation in 1970.2 It is apparent this is still the case in the state of Michigan six years later. The problem of teacher militancy and staff relations was rated as greatly significant by 58.9 per- cent of the total group, with an additional 32.7 percent considering it significant, for a total of 91.6 percent. This pattern was followed in every student enrollment category, ranging from a low of 91 percent in districts of less than five thousand students to a high of 100 per- cent in school systems having more than twenty thousand students. In 1970, the nation's chief school executives placed this issue fifth in their ranking, although superintendents of districts with more than twenty-five 21bid., p. 58. 86 thousand students rated it as more of a challenge and problem than did their counterparts in smaller units.3 Overall, the issue drawing the next highest per- centage of "greatly Significant" and "significant" responses was that of the caliber of persons elected to or withdrawing from local boards of education. State- wide, 82.6 percent of the respondents were concerned about the issue, with every superintendent of a district with more than twenty thousand youngsters rating it as either greatly significant or Significant. This issue finished third in every enrollment category but that of five to ten thousand students, where it drOpped to fifth. However, even in that group, 77.5 percent of the superintendents saw it as either greatly significant or significant. AS a comparison, that same issue was only rated ninth in the previously mentioned AASA nationwide study of 1970.4 The question also revealed some contrasting judgments made by superintendents of districts of dif- ferent sizes. For example, a higher percentage of leaders of districts with more than five thousand pupils saw social-cultural issues, such as race relations, integration and segregation, as much more significant than did some of their colleagues in smaller settings. 3Ihid. 41bid. 87 In fact, the bigger the enrollment category, the greater the percentage of respondents rating the issue as either greatly significant or significant. While 87.5 percent of the "above twenty thousand student" superintendents rated it that way, only 42.4 percent of the "under five thousand student" superintendents held a similar view— point. The same type of positioning regarding this issue was seen in AASA'S 1970 work.5 The only glaring disparity at the lower end of the rankings came in the ten to twenty thousand student bracket, where 57.9 percent of the respondents saw the decentralization of large districts into smaller admin- istrative units as an issue of significance. This is more than double the percentage of superintendents in any other enrollment category who felt that way. Statewide, the issues drawing the least amount of concern, in a comparative sense, were those of stu- dent activism, rapidly increasing student enrollment and the aforementioned decentralization of large dis- tricts. Interestingly, while student activism and decen- tralization of larger districts also ranked at the bottom Ibid 0 88 in the nationwide survey of 1970, the issue of rapidly increasing enrollment was ranked twelfth out of the eighteen issues at that time.6 So that the reader may do additional comparisons, the final rank order of issues of the nation's superin- tendents in 1970 was as follows: 1. 10. 11. Financing schools to meet current expenditures and capital outlay Demand for new ways of teaching or operating the educational program Greater visibility of the student Changes in values and behavioral norms School staff relations, strikes, sanctions or other forms of teacher militancy Growing federal involvement in education Reorganization of small districts into larger units of administration Assessment of educational outcomes Caliber of persons assigned to or removed from boards of education Caliber of responsibilities assigned to or removed from local boards of education Social-cultural issues such as race relations, integration or segregation Ibid. 89 12. Rapidly increasing student enrollment 13. Changing priorities in curriculum 14. Use of drugs in schools 15. Increasing attacks on the superintendent 16. Growing pressure for public support of non- public schools 17. Student activism such as underground newspapers and student strikes 18. Decentralization of larger districts into smaller units of administration Adequacy of Administrative Staff In an attempt to learn if the state's school superintendents felt they needed additional administra- tive or supervisory help to cope with the critical issues facing their districts, the author included the follow- ing question on the survey: "Do you believe your school system is staffed adequately at the administrative and supervisory levels to cope with critical issues facing the district?" As seen in Table 44, almost one-half of the respondents, 48.2 percent, indicated that they felt adequately staffed to deal with the critical issues confronting their districts. Two groups significantly beneath that percentage, however, were superintendents in districts enrolling between five and ten thousand 90 students and above twenty thousand students. Only 35.0 and 37.5 percent, respectively, felt that they had ade- quate staff to cepe with today's problems. TABLE 44 ADEQUACY OF SIZE OF THE SUPERINTENDENTS' STAFF Percentage of Superintendents Who Felt that Their System District Enrollment Had Adequate Administrators To Cope with Critical Issues Facing the District Under 5,000 pupils 50.3 5,001 - 10,000 pupils 35.0 10,001 - 20,000 pupils 47.4 Above 20,000 pupils 37.5 Total 48.2 Of those who felt they needed additional adminis- trative help, 93.1 percent thought that from one to three additional administrators or supervisory would handle the problem. Further analyzing the responses, 31.0 percent felt that one position was needed, 47.1 per- cent felt that two more positions were necessary and 14.9 percent would be satisfied with three staff additions. Conversely, only 6.9 percent of those feeling they required help thought that they needed more than three people. However, the larger the student enrollment category, the more additional positions were perceived as necessary. As Table 45 illustrates, while only 4.1 percent of the superintendents in the “under 5,000 91 student" category thought that they needed more than three additional positions, the respective percentages for the categories of 5,001 - 10,000 students, 10,001 - 20,000 students and above 20,000 students were 11.5 per- cent, 30.0 percent and 40.0 percent. TABLE 45 SUPERINTENDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF ADDITIONAL POSITIONS NEEDED Percentage of Superintendents Believing That More Than District Enrollment Three Additional Administra- tive Positions Are Needed to Cope with Current Issues Under 5,000 pupils 4.1 5,001 - 10,000 pupils 11.5 10,001 - 20,000 pupils 30.0 Above 20,000 pupils 40.0 Total 6.9 Table 46 reveals that the mean number of addi- tional positions desired by those who wanted assistance was 2.04. The highest mean was for those in the ten to twenty thousand classification, 3.0, while the lowest was in the group of superintendents with less than five thousand youngsters, 1.85. As a sidenote, even if you included those who felt they were adequately staffed in the computation, a mean of 1.07 additional administrative positions was perceived as necessary to meet today's educational problems. 92 TABLE 46 NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL POSITIONS REQUESTED BY SUPERINTENDENTS WHO NEEDED ADDITIONAL HELP !l l --. - .- L. - - ...-- M.-e._ H .- -...- _ .. _ - .-._.. - ..__ .-.-_ - - . . .. x .. -- -.-- - ..-._.._- _ - a .. - 3...... . _. -.— Mean Number of Positions Requested District Enrollment by Superintendents Desiring Assistance Under 5,000 pupils 1.85 5,001 - 10,000 pupils 2.62 10,001 - 20,000 pupils 2.40 Above 20,000 pupils 3.00 Total 2.04 In viewing the areas of specialization needed to cope with issues facing their school districts, more than one-fourth of the state's superintendents, 26.8 per- cent, feel that additional help is necessary in "curricu- lum." This category drew the highest percentage and frequency of responses in every student enrollment group but one, that of five to ten thousand pupils. In that particular group, "labor relations” and "public relations" drew the most favor. Of note is the fact that the larger the enrollment classification, the higher the percentage of superintendents in that group that indicated a need for curriculum assistance. This can clearly be seen in Table 47. Overall, "labor relations" was the only area other than curriculum to draw a response from more than 20 percent of the superintendents (21.7 percent). 93 However, on a comparative basis, that specialization finished fourth and fifth in the ten to twenty thousand and above twenty thousand student classifications, respectively. TABLE 47 TYPES OF SPECIALISTS SUPERINTENDENTS FEEL ARE NECESSARY TO COPE WITH CURRENT ISSUES Percentage of Superintendents (By Cur- rent Enrollment) Selecting Areas of Specialization Needed Type of SPeClallSt Under 5,001 - 10,001 - Above 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils Labor Relations 18.8 42.5 26.3 12.5 21.7 Finance/Business 17.0 20.0 15.8 25.0 27.5 Curriculum 25.3 30.0 31.6 50.0 26.8 Community Edu- cation 14.6 10.0 31.6 25.0 15.2 Public Relations 10.4 42.5 31.6 37.5 15.8 Other 10.1 20.0 5.3 0 10.7 Finally, the area of "public relations" gained strong support in all districts with more than five thousand students, but was given a considerably lower priority by the chief school officers of districts with less than five thousand youngsters, as only 10.4 percent of the latter expressed a desire for that type of help. When the author reviewed the results of the 1970 AASA study, he found that ”curriculum and instruction” 94 was the most frequently requested specialist; it was desired by 52.5 percent of the nation's superintendents that year.7 Subcontracting for Services Table 48 shows that 42.5 percent of the superin- tendents either authorized the employment of consultants or subcontracted for certain services to supplement their administrative staffs. This practice was most prevalent in districts of five to ten thousand students, where 65 percent of the chief school executives followed this practice. This was only slightly less common in the ten to twenty thousand classification, in which 57.9 percent indicated they utilized this approach. Further analysis showed that ninety-four of the superintendents limit their use of consultants or sub- contracted firms to three or less in a typical year. TABLE 48 USE OF CONSULTANTS AND SUBCONTRACTED SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICES BY SUPERINTENDENTS Percentage of Superintendents District Enrollment Employing Consultants or Subcontracting Services Under 5,000 pupils 38.5 5,001 - 10,000 pupils 65.0 10,001 - 20,000 pupils 57.9 Above 20,000 pupils 37.5 Total 42.5 7 Ibid., p. 60. 95 As can be seen in Table 49, 72.4 percent of the superintendents using consultants or subcontracted services limit their use to one or two firms. Going further, 85.8 percent use three or less and 95.8 percent of the superintendents employ one to five such firms. There seemed to be no significant difference in the number of consultants or subcontracted services when the results were analyzed according to student enrollment. Leadership Status of the Superintendent In spite of the increased criticism of public school superintendents and the field of education in general, better than three out of four respondents felt that their position had at least as much influence in the community as it did ten years ago. Specifically, 45.9 percent were of the opinion that the position's status was about the same and 31.8 percent perceived it as increasing in importance and influence. As seen in Table 50, superintendents of districts with more than twenty thousand students seemed to be the most positive, with only 12.5 percent sensing a decline in status while 62.5 percent judge the post as increasing in importance and influence. However, once again the reader is reminded that the smallness of the sample in that enrollment category can distort the meaning of the percentages. 96 TABLE 49 NUMBER OF CONSULTANTS OR SERVICE FIRMS SUBCONTRACTED IN A TYPICAL YEAR ———_...— . ——-——-——- I: ll ll l II M l l l CHESHItaHES Number of Consultants (By Current Enrollment) or Flrms Under 5,001 - 10,001 - Above 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils 0 61.5 37.5 47.4 62.5 58.0 1 15.6 17.5 5.3 12.5 15.2 2 15.3 17.5 15.8 15.2 3 4.2 12.5 15.8 5.6 4 1.4 7.5 5.3 12.5 2.5 5 1 4 5.0 1.7 6 .3 5.3 .6 7 0 8 .3 2.5 .6 9 0 10 5.3 12.5 .6 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 97 TABLE 50 SUPERINTENDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR STATUS AS EDUCATIONAL OR COMMUNITY LEADERS Percentage Perceiving Status (By District Enrollment): Perceived Status Under 5,001 - 10,001 - Above 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils No response .3 2.5 - - Decreasing in . importance 21.5 25.0 21.1 12.5 21.7 About same as ten years ago 45.8 45.0 57.9 25.0 45.9 Increasing in importance 32.3 27.5 21.1 62.5 31.8 Total 99.9 100.0 100.1 100.0 100.0 The author believes it is Significant that more than one-fifth of the state's public school superin- tendents (21.7 percent) are of the opinion that the position they hold has decreased in importance and influence. However, as a comparisOn, the AASA nation- wide survey in 1970 Showed that only 14.8 percent of this country's school superintendents felt that their positions had declined in influence.8 Work Load AS the Chief manager of his school "business," the superintendent works fifty-five hours during a typical week. However, as seen in Table 51, if he is 8Ibid., p. 62. 98 from the largest districts in the state, those over twenty thousand pupils, he likely puts in sixty hours of work. The schedule into which these hours are crammed generally sees the work day begin around 8:15 A.M. and conclude between 5:40 and 5:45 P.M. In addition, the typical school superintendent will allocate almost three nights a week to school related work. Again, the super- intendents of more than twenty thousand students seemed to have a bit more. For them, between three and four nights would be the most common occurrence. Even the weekend does not necessarily bring a respite from the job. Portions of almost one Sunday and between one and two Saturdays per month are devoted to work related to the superintendency. TABLE 51 TIME REQUIRED OF THE SUPERINTENDENTS Mean Response by Enrollment Group: Categ°rY Under 5,001 - 10.001 - Above 5,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Pupils No. of hours worked weekly 55 56 54 60 55 No. of evenints worked weekly 2.9 2.9 3.2 3.5 2.9 Start of work day 8:13 8-28 8:27 8:22 8:15 End of work day 5:33 6-10 5:31 8:15 5:42 No. of Saturdays worked monthly 1.6 1.5 1.9 2.4 1.6 No. of Sundays worked monthly .8 .8 1.7 1.6 .9 99 Obstacles to Greater Effectiveness The only Open-ended question on the survey instrument was the next to last question asked: "Are there things that prevent you from achieving even greater effectiveness as a chief school administrator? If so please list them." Seventy-three percent of the superintendents listed one or more things that prevented them from achieving greater effectiveness. Since the wording of the responses varied considerably, the author reviewed all the responses, developed appropriate categories on the basis of the factors listed, as well as those the AASA survey of 1970, and then categorized each of them. The fourteen categories selected by the writer (in the order of frequency) were: 1. Inadequate financing of schools 2. Collective bargaining and staff militancy 3. Difficulty with the Board of Education 4. Lack of time in relation to responsibilities 5. Paperwork and excessive details 6. Federal, state and legal intervention 7. Not enough administrative help 8. Excessive community involvement in schools 9. Lack of staff dedication and skills 10. Rapidly changing community philosophies of education 100 11. Social attitudes and problems 12. Personal inadequacies 13. Teacher tenure laws 14. Others (lack of facilities, drug problems, media, etc.) As seen in Table 52, by far the most frequent obstacle to greater effectiveness, as perceived by the superintendents, was ”inadequate financing of schools." This constituted 17.2 percent of the factors listed as inhibiting success. Ninety-four of the superintendents, or 26.5 percent of the total sample, saw it as a major deterrent to greater effectiveness. In the 1970 AASA study, this same category was the most frequently mentioned as an obstacle limiting greater success.9 The author found that "collective bargaining and staff militancy” was the second most common factor listed. Seventy-five superintendents, or 21.1 percent of the superintendents, noted that as a significant restriction to success. Just under 14 percent (13.7) of the responses fell in this category. Interestingly, this classification was not even included in the pre- viously mentioned study conducted by the American Association of School Administrators. 9Ibid., p. 59 FACTORS PREVENTING GREATER EFFECTIVENESS 101 TABLE 52 Percentage Percentage of Factor Frequency of Superin- Responses tendents in Sample Inadequate financing of schools 94 17.2 26.5 Collective bargaining and staff militancy 75 13.7 21.1 Difficulty with Board of Education 64 11.7 18.0 Lack of time in relation to responsibilities 53 9.7 14.9 Paperwork and excessive details 50 9.1 14.1 Federal, state and court intervention 43 7.9 12.1 Not enough administrative help 38 6.9 10.7 Excessive community involvement 25 4.6 7.4 Lack of staff dedication and skills 24 4.4 6.7 Rapidly changing com- munity philosophy 20 3.7 5.6 Social attitudes and problems 13 2.7 3.7 Person inadequacies 11 2.0 3.1 Teacher tenure laws 9 1.6 2.5 Other 28 5.1 7.9 Total 547 100.0 - 102 The third hinderance to effectiveness revolved around superintendents' dealings with their boards of education. Eighteen percent listed it as a difficulty and it comprised 11.7 percent of the factors named. Further analysis showed that twenty-eight of the sixty- four superintendents who listed it, 43.8 percent, spe- cified that the problem dealt with too much board involve- ment in administrative operations; a failure to differen- tiate between policy and administration. Other types of obstacles to greater effectiveness cited by more than 10 percent of the superintendents were "lack of time in relation to responsibilities” (14.9), "paperwork and excessive details" (14.1), ”federal, state and court intervention" (12.1) and "not enough adminis- trative help" (10.7). Future Plans The final question on the survey asked the respondents to indicate their future plans by checking the alternative which reflected their current thinking. There were six alternatives listed: 1. I definitely will continue in a superintendency, whether in this district or another, until of normal retirement age. 103 2. I will continue in a superintendency until I can qualify for minimum state retirement prior to normal retirement age. 3. I will leave (probably) when I find a desirable position in a university. 4. I will leave (probably) when I find a desirable position outside of education. 5. This is an impossible position and I want to get out of the superintendency as soon as possible. 6. I plan to remain until a position outside the superintendency opens which allows me to make a greater contribution to education. The alternatives were the same offered in the 1970 nationwide survey administered by ASA. While education has been the focus of a great deal of attention and criticism in recent years, it apparently has not become so unbearable that its chief executives are planning to withdraw from the profession. The survey revealed that 55.8 percent of the school superintendents plan to continue in the superintendency until normal retirement age and 27.9 percent hope to stay until minimum retirement age. These indicators can be compared with the 1970 nationwide responses of 44.9 and 34.8 percent, respectively. FUTURE PLANS OF SUPERINTENDENTS 104 TABLE 53 Future Plans Percentage of Responses by Enrollment Category Under 5,000 Pupils 5,001 - 10,000 Pupils 10,001 - 20,000 Pupils Above 20,000 Pupils Total No response Continue until normal retire- ment age Continue until minimum retirement age Probably leave for university position Probably leave education Get out of superintendency as soon as possible Remain until another position in education is found Total 1.7 28.5 7.6 100.0 2.5 55.0 30.0 5.0 100.0 52.6 26.3 21.1 100.0 62.5 37.5 100.0 55.8 27.9 1.7 8.7 100.0 105 Only 1.7 percent felt a need to "get out of the superintendency as soon as possible." This contrasts with the 1970 AASA percentage of 2.3. Also of note is the fact that six years ago the nationwide desire to leave K-12 education and migrate to the university level was almost three times that of Michigan's current superintendents, 4 percent to 1.4 percent. Summary In his job, today's superintendent of schools perceives a number of crucial issues, particularly two significant problems: inadequate financing of schools and teacher militancy and staff relations. These two difficulties permeate schools of every size. Closely on the heels of these are such concerns as the caliber of people elected to or withdrawing from boards of edu- cation, changing social and behavior norms and types of responsibilities assigned to local schools and their boards of education. Superintendents in larger districts are especially confronted with social and cultural issues, such as integration and segregation. Almost one out of every two superintendents feels that he is inadequately staffed to deal with current problems and would like assistance in from one to three 106 areas, particularly labor relations and curriculum. To help offset this, more than 42 percent of the superin- tendents subcontract for consultant services on a regular basis. Of concern is the fact that more than a fifth of the superintendents perceive their position as declining in importance, although more of the group feels that the job has increased in importance. To accomplish the demands of the job, a "typical" chief school executive in Michigan will work a fifty-five hour week, including at least three nights per week and portions of two Saturdays and Sundays in any month. The biggest obstacles to greater effectiveness are inadequate finances, the effects of collective bar- gaining and relations with his board of education. In spite of all this, today's superintendent plans to stay on the job until retirement age, although that may come sooner than originally intended. CHAPTER VI SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was to develop a pro- file of superintendents of public school systems in the state of Michigan. The "state of the superintendency" was measured as of spring, 1976. The study derived its significance from the belief that the superintendent of schools is the key person in a school district's operation and that it is essential to expand the body of knowledge concerning those individuals who fill the position. Design and Methodology The data were gathered by means of a survey instrument modeled after that used in a similar, national study conducted by the American Association of School Administrators in 1970. The questionnaire was refined and adopted following review by representatives of the Michigan Association of School Administrators. The questionnaire was sent to 511 superintendents of public school districts offering grades kindergarten 107 108 through twelve. This represented better than 98 percent of the school superintendents in Michigan. All the superintendents in the sample were members of the Michigan Association of School Administrators. The findings were based on a return of 355 sur- veys, 69.5 percent of those surveyed, representing all geographic sections of the state. The questionnaires were also analyzed and classified by school district size: under five thousand students, five to ten thousand stu- dents, ten to twenty thousand students and above twenty thousand students. Conclusions In Chapter I, the author stated that it was important to know the personal and professional charac- teristics of Michigan's school superintendents and to see what relationships existed between those charac- teristics and the size of the districts the superin- tendents served. These questions were answered as part of the conclusions developed from the study. The median age of the state's superintendents was 48.1, with there being no significant difference when the data were analyzed by size of school district. The superintendency is almost exclusively a male profession, with only one female respondent in the survey. While more than 72 percent of the superintendents were raised in either a rural or town setting, there is 109 substantial variance when the results are analyzed by district size. A prime example is the fact that 62.5 per- cent of superintendents of school systems enrolling more than twenty thousand pupils were raised in either large, urban areas or suburbs of these areas. From this survey, it can be concluded that superintendents of districts enrolling more than five thousand students are less likely to have been raised in rural or town settings than are their counterparts in districts of less than five thousand students. This same relationship exists when the size of the communities in which the superintendents were raised is examined. From the data, it can be seen that superin- tendents of districts of more than five thousand youngsters are far more likely to have been raised in communities of at least ten thousand people. This tendency is even stronger in districts of more than ten thousand students and stronger yet in those in excess of twenty thousand pupils. As a group, superintendents accepted their first full-time position in education at a median age of 23.9. The first position was, and is, most likely to be that of a teacher at the secondary level, grades seven through twelve, with extra-curricular responsibilities a part of that job. 110 While superintendents spent a median of five years as a classroom teacher, this figure lessened considerably as the enrollment categories increased in size. It is apparent that superintendents of systems of more than ten thousand students spent less time as classroom teachers than did their colleagues of districts with less than ten thousand students. Naturally, in light of the established relation- ship regarding the size of the superintendent's district and the length of time he spent as a teacher, the next conclusion is not surprising: the larger the school district employing the superintendent, the younger the superintendent probably was when he accepted his first administrative position. Superintendents of larger districts are appointed to their initial administrative posts earlier than are chief executives of small units. A superintendent more than likely began his administrative career at the building level, primarily as a principal, but occasionally as an assistant princi- pal. This appointment tended to take place around the age of thirty, although superintendents of districts with more than five thousand students, and, especially those with more than twenty thousand pupils, usually began their administrative careers earlier than that. The average superintendent was appointed to his first superintendency just before his thirty-seventh 111 birthday, with 91 percent having been appointed by the age of forty-five. The larger the enrollment of the superintendent's current district, the larger his initial superintendency, in enrollment tended to be. The median tenure in that first assignment as superintendent of schools was just over four years. The vast majority of Michigan's superintendents have worked in three or less school districts, with the bulk of those in either one or two districts. Boards of education of larger districts are more likely to employ superintendents with out-of-state experience than are boards of systems of lesser size. However, the over- whelming majority of superintendents have served only in Michigan. While the median number of years spent in their present superintendency was 5.7, there was a difference related to the size of the district. Superintendents of districts of more than ten thousand students had been in their current assignments well over a year less than superintendents of districts of less than ten thousand students. Statewide, the median number of years of total experience of the superintendents was 8.7. Superintendents in Michigan typically have the security of either a two- or three-year contract, with the latter the case with more than half of the superin- tendents. As expected, the salary guaranteed by these 112 contracts strongly relates to the student enrollment of the school district. It can be concluded that the state's superin- tendents feel positively toward their work in that more than three-fourths of the group indicated that they would again choose the superintendency as a career. This is reinforced by the findings that show that a strong majority of the group plan to stay in the superintendency until their retirement. In practice, the master's degree is now a pre- requisite for the job, with the degree invariably taken in educational administration from a university located within the state. At the same time, the doctorate is becoming more prevalent and is the rule, rather than the exception, in districts of greater than ten thousand stu- dents. Holders of the degree generally began their doc- toral work prior to age forty and completed it before age forty-five. Significantly, the data show that the larger the school system, the younger the superintendent probably was when he entered graduate school. Superintendents generally feel positive about the quality of their graduate study, with the highest rated courses being personnel administration, school business management, public relations and school finance. Some courses traditionally included in graduate programs, 113 such as history and philosophy of education, are not as highly valued as those mentioned above. The two most significant issues faced by superin- tendents in districts of every size are inadequate financing of schools and problems in staff relations, including teacher militancy and collective bargaining. While there are a number of issues common to districts of all sizes, superintendents of larger school systems are particularly concerned with the problems surrounding the concept of school integration. To adequately deal with these and other issues, superintendents, especially those in school systems with more than five thousand pupils, believe they need more administrative help. The areas in which the additional personnel would be most frequently assigned would be those dealing with curriculum and labor relations. Since the superintendents have already indicated that the issues of finance and staff relations, including militancy and collective bargaining, were the most crucial, it may be presumed that superintendents believe that the problem of inadequate financing will not be cured by adding to the administrative staff, unless they assume that improved curriculum will result in improved financing. They do, however, believe that additional help in the form of a labor relations specialist would ease the problem considerably. 114 There are more superintendents who believe that their job's importance is increasing than there are who believe that it is decreasing. However, both the per- centage and number of superintendents who feel that their position's status is diminishing is significant. It should also be noted that this is an opinion more preva- lent in districts enrolling less than twenty thousand students. Since financing schools has already been recog- nized as the leading issue facing superintendents, it should come as no surprise to learn that inadequate financing of schools is the most frequently perceived obstacle to greater effectiveness on the part of the superintendent. Again as expected, the second most common obstacle was the atmosphere, and constraints, brought about by collective bargaining. Perhaps the best reflection of the way in which Michigan's superintendents of schools view their job is the fact that the overwhelming majority plan to remain in the role until retirement age. While that age may vary according to the individual and his circumstances, the author concludes that the position satisfies the majority of the respondents' vocational needs and goals. Implications At the outset of this study, the importance of learning more about the people who serve as spokesmen and 115 directors of education in the communities of Michigan was established. The author also stressed the necessity of developing information that will aid these individuals, Michigan's public school superintendents, in the appraisal of their own preparation, career pattern, opinions and professional characteristics. In addition, it was hoped that the results of the study would assist aspiring superintendents in the review of their professional preparation and projected career pattern. The author believes that data generated has, among others, the following significant implications in light of the study's stated purposes and potential uses. 1. The superintendency still is almost exclu- sively a male profession. In spite of strong federal and state efforts to guarantee equal opportunities for women, only one of the 355 respondents, .3 percent, was a female. In fact, this ratio is less than that found nationwide in 1970 when women held 1.3 percent of the school superin- tendencies. It is difficult to believe that women do not have the personal characteristics, professional preparation and aspirations to assume the top educational leadership roles in Michigan. Rather, the author suggests, role stereotyping and subtle, even subconscious, discrimination may be a more realistic explanation of the obvious scarcity of female school superintendents. 116 Regardless of the reasons, changes in this area should and will undoubtedly be forthcoming in the future. The job of a superintendent of schools is too vital to perpetuate a system which seems to prepare and consider only the male segment of the population. 2. [While arguments favoring the elimination of the requirement that a superintendent also be a certified teacher have occasionally been offered, all but a very few superintendents started their careers as classroom teachers. Those who did not still were certified to do so. The author believes that this is a practice that is best continued. The graduate programs available to aspiring school administrators provide ample opportunity to master the technical aspects and managerial require- ments of school administration. Regardless of one's business acumen and ability to relate to and motivate peOple, the fact remains that the most important ingre- dient of the educational system, indeed its only reason for existence, is the student. 'Without some first-hand experience in the very essence of education, helping a student learn, a superintendent will have a difficult time reaching maximum effectiveness. There is a sufficient number of outstanding peOple in the education profession from which its future leaders can be drawn. Perhaps it is important for the 117 superintendent to recall the classroom from which he originally came and the needs of the teacher and students who still are there. 3. The most common career pattern among superin- tendents involved movement from a teaching position to building level administration, either principal, most frequently, or assistant principal. This has implications for the individual entering public education with the goal of becoming a superin- tendent of schools. It is probable that it is more than coincidence that so many of Michigan's school superin- tendents had experience as a building principal. Not only does that administrative post provide an opportunity for school management experience, but it also gives top level administrators a chance to observe an individual's management skills and potential in a challenging, yet limited setting. With increased emphasis on team management, principals are not only affecting districtwide decisions more, they are also gaining more exposure. Consequently, it can be presumed that the principalship will continue to be a significant step on the way to a superintendency. 4. As already related, the majority of superin- tendents work under either a two- or three-year contractual agreement with their boards of education. This security 118 takes on added significance when one recalls that the superintendents listed inadequate financing of schools and staff relations, including collective bargaining and teaching militancy, as both the most significant issues facing their districts and the biggest obstacles to improving their own effectiveness. The reason for the added significance is that both of these situations are greatly affected by outside forces: the state legislature and local voters. If the state fails to provide adequate funding and local voters do not approve operating millage, the superintendents' major problem will remain. In addition, the Michigan Legislature authorized collective bargaining in the public sector in 1965 and has the power to modify the format. The Michigan Edu- cation Association and Michigan Federation of Teachers are two other outside forces that can influence the labor relations situation beyond the control of the superintendent. Finally, the active interest in local elections taken by organized labor and other interest groups can quickly change the membership of a local board of edu- cation, the body that employs the superintendent. 5. The study showed that the master's degree is, in effect, now a requirement for the superintendency and the doctorate is certainly prevalent in larger school districts. Those who aspire to fill that role must be 119 aware of this and make plans to secure a doctoral degree in school administration. Thus, it is wise to begin graduate work as soon as possible following entry into the profession. 6. In the introduction, the author offered the hope that the study would provide information that could assist colleges and universities in the analysis of their current preparatory programs for school administrators. This should be possible in light of the data generated. Superintendents not only rate their graduate studies quite highly, but feel extremely positive about the value of courses in personnel administration, school business management, public relations and school finance. It might be appropriate for universities to consider whether they are offering those programs and, if so, whether they have an elective or required status in an individual's graduate program. It would also behoove graduate schools to examine the content and role of such traditional offerings as the history and philosophy of education. Of importance to the graduate student, who may be a practicing or potential superintendent, is the fact that superintendents of larger school systems rate courses in political science, curriculum and research higher than do their counterparts in districts of lesser size. 120 7. There is encouragement for those interested in a career in school administration in that there appears to be a.need for more, not less, administrative help. More than half of Michigan's school superintendents, particu- larly those in districts of more than five thousand pupils, felt they needed from one to three additional administra- tive personnel to adequately deal with problems that con- fronted their school districts. Even though enrollments may be declining, there is still a need for capable administrators in such aspects of school district oper- ation as curriculum and labor relations, to name but two. Naturally, this has implications for the universities that must help prepare these future administrators as well as for these potential administrators themselves. 8. While the author has already referred to the two most pervasive issues identified by the superinten- dents, financing of schools and staff relations, mention should again be made of the other issues and the impli- cations they have for education in Michigan. The superintendents' concerns about such things as the caliber of people elected to or withdrawing from local boards of education, changes in social values and behavioral norms, the types of responsibilities assigned to or removed from local boards of education, growing federal involvement in education and social-cultural issues such as race relations, integration and 121 segregation all indicate the potential for more changes in education in the future. Again it should be indicated that these are things to which superintendents must react, not things which they can dictate and significantly control. In addition, many of them are frequently interrelated, such as questions of local control, growing federal involvement and school integration. Because of the difference in issues from district to district, further study and analysis in this area would prove beneficial. 9. Perhaps one of the significant implications is that, in spite of the many problems and obstacles to greater personal effectiveness, the school superintendency provides sufficient challenge, excitement, satisfaction and financial reward to hold the majority of those who currently fill the position. Regardless of the pressures normally associated with the job, the study indicated that the respondents were not sorry they had chosen the field they had and planned to remain in the position until retirement. Perhaps it is because, as the majority of superintendents felt, the superintendency has either maintained or increased in importance. 122 Reflections In reflecting on the conclusions and implications of the study, the author strongly believes that the study should be repeated on a regular basis, with the interval between studies not greater than five years. Only through this approach can trends and changes in Michigan's public school superintendency, and those who occupy it, be dis- cerned. Further study could also provide answers as to why superintendents of districts enrolling from ten to twenty thousand students often responded to survey questions far differently than did their counterparts in the other enrollment categories. However, to find those answers, additional research might very well have to include the school districts themselves and the boards of education that govern them. The writer also feels that the opinions and evaluations of the superintendents regarding university graduate programs cannot be disregarded. While these programs generally received favorable ratings, there was a great deal of variance as to the superintendents' per- ceptions of the quality and importance of individual courses within these programs. In light of the responses, universities should give strong consideration to either requiring or, when appropriate, recommending the inclusion of such courses 123 as personnel administration, school business management and public relations in graduate programs in school administration. If these and other highly ranked courses are not a mandatory part of an individual's course of study, that individual should at least be made aware of the value that practicing superintendents place on them. Any aspiring superintendent or university advisor should be cognizant of the type of preparation that superin- tendents in the field believe is important to success. For example, superintendents of districts with more than twenty thousand pupils placed more of a premium on graduate course work in group dynamics than did the rest of their colleagues. If one had aspirations to serve as a superintendent of a district of that size, university personnel should include that particular course in that person's graduate program. Since both philosophy and history of education received relatively low ratings, universities might do well to re-evaluate the manner and sequence in which they are taught. Perhaps they ought to be offered concurrently with a course in current issues and not in isolation early in one's graduate work. It is the author's opinion that the courses might take on addi- tional value if they were related directly to today's educational practices. APPENDIX II. III. APPENDIX SCHOOL DISTRICT DATA: (The following information identifying the district is for aid in assuring a broad sampling and will not appear in any compilation of the data.) 1. Name of School District 2. Present enrollment in your district 3. MASA Region PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT 4. Age (nearest birthday) 5. Sex M F In what type of community did you spend most of your life prior to enrolling in a college or university? Check both type and size which best describe your home community: (questions 6-7) 6. Type: 7. Size: 3. Rural _____e. Under 2, 500 in population b. Town or small city ____f. 2, 500 to 9, 999 in population _____c. Suburban city in a g. 10, 000 to 99, 000 in pop. metropolitan area h. 100, 000 or more in pop. (1. Large urban center or city 8. What was the approximate enrollment of the school where you received your high school diploma? CAREER DATE: 9. At what age were you employed in your first full-time position in public education? Describe your first full-time position in education (questions 10-11) 10. Type of School 11. Extra-Curricular Responsibilities, if any (Coach, Advisor, Etc.) a. elementary g. _ b. secondary h. c. other i. 12. How many years of classroom teaching experience did you have prior to spending a major portion of your time in administration or supervision? 13. At what age were you appointed to your first public school administrative or supervisory position? 124 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 125 What was the nature of your first administrative or supervisory position? (Check only one) a. Asst. Principal c. Supervisor e. Asst. Supt. b. Principal d. Director f. Supt. At what age were you appointed to your first public school 5 upe rintend en cy ? What was the total elementary-secondary pupil enrollment in the district where and when you were appointed to your first public school superintendency? ln how many districts have you served as public school super- intendent? What was your starting salary in your first public school superintendency? What is your present salary? Please list the different states where you have served as super- intendent, starting with the state where you had your initial public school superintendency: a. lst c. 3rd b. 2nd d . 4th For how many years have you held your present superintendency? How many years did you serve in each of your superintendencies? (lst) (2nd) (3rd) (4th) (5th) (6th) How many years of experience in all have you had as a super- intendent? What is the length, in years, of the full term of your present contract with the school board in your district? a. 1 year __b. 2 years _c. 3 years d. 4 years _c. 5 years or more ___f. Indefinite On the line at the end of this question, please trace your career pattern in different educational positions starting with classroom teacher, other administrative or supervisory positions, and then various superintendencies using the following letters to identify the positions: 126 a) classroom teacher '1) rural community ‘supt. (with (elementary or secondary) " population under 2, 500) b) vice or assist. principal 82) small town or city supt. (district c) principal population of Z, 500 to 9, 999) d) supervisor or consultant 83) suburban area supt. e) director 84) large urban city supt. f) assistant superintendent g) associate superintendent (Example: A person who went directly from being a teacher to super- intendent in a suburban area would place below "a-—--33"; a career pattern from teacher to principal to assistant superintendent to small town superintendent would be shown as: "a---—c----f—---82") Your Career Pattern: 26. Did your movement from one educational position to another occur in: (please check which ofthe following apply) a) Within one school district b) More than one school district 27. Were you employed on a full-time basis in non-educational positions for a period of one year or more since graduating from college? Yes No If so, please check the type and duration. Type Duration in Years a. Military b. Business c. Other (specify) 28. If you had to do it all over again, you would choose a career in: (check one) _a. The school superintendency ___b. Another type of school administrative or supervisory position (specify) ___c. Another position in education d. A non-educational field of work IV. PREPARATION DATA: Please indicate your professional preparation by noting your degrees, majors and whether the institution was in-state or out-of-state: 127 Degree Please Check Major Institution 29. Bachelors XXXXXXXXXXX 30. 31. Masters 32. 33. 34. Specialist 35. 36. 37. Doctorate 38. 39. Please add the following information for each degree: Masters Specialist Doctorate a) Age at the start of degree stuiy 40. 48. 56. b) Ale at completion of degree study41. 49. 57. c) Did you receive a fellowship or assistantship? 42. 50. 58. d) Were you on leave with financial support fromjour district? 43. 51. 59. e) Did you receive GI or veterans benefits? 44. 52. 60. f) Years of administrative exper- ience when degree was received 45. 53. 61. g) Did you have to seek a loan to complete your study? 46. S4. 62. h) Did you complete your degree while in full-time employment? 47. 55. 63. 64. On the whole how would you evaluate your program of graduate studies as preparation for the superintendency? a. Excellent; b. Good: .c. Fair; d. Poor How important in your opinion, is advanced graduate study in the following fields? Mark each item according to the following scale: A - Essential; B - Important; C - Of Some Importance; D - Unimportant 65. _School finance 76. “Philosophy of education 66. _History of education 77. _Curriculum 67. _Political science 78. _School business management 68. _Personnel administration 79. _School plant planning 69. _Public relations 80. _Administration theory and 70. _Human relations practice 71. _Psychology 81. _Research 72. _Physical science 82. _Teaching methods 73. _Economics A 83. _Mathematics 74. Group dynamics 84. _Community education 75. Sociology 128 V. ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACING THE SUPERINTENDENCY TODAY: Please rate each of the following issues and challenges facing the super- intendency today in your school district on the following letter scale: a) Of great significance; b) Significant; c) Of limited significance; d) Little or no significance. Place a check in the blank spaces identified as columns a, b, c, and d, to indicate the degree of significance you would attach to each of the following: Great Signi - Limited Little ficent or No a b c d 85. Social-cultural issues such as race relations, integration, or segration 86. Issues in school staff relations such as negotiations, strikes, sanctions or some form of teacher militancy 87. Student activism such as underground newspaper and student strikes 88. Decentralization of large districts into smaller administrative units 89. Reorganization of small districts into larger administrative units 90. Changing priorities in curriculum such as introducing black studies courses or sex education or eliminating current priorities 91. Demands for new ways of teaching or operating the educational program 92. Financing schools to meet increasing current expenditures and capital outlay 93. Assessing educational outcomes, such as the national and state assessment effort 94. Growing federal involvement in- education 95. Caliber of persons elected to or with- drawingom local boards of education 96. Type of responsibilities assigned to or removed from local boards of education 97. Rapidly increasing student enrollments 98. Rapidly decreasing student enrollments 99. Greater visibility of the superintendent 100. Increasing criticism of the superintendent 101. Use of drugs and/or alcohol in the schools 102. Changes in values and behavioral norms 103. Do you believe your school system is staffed adequately at the administrative and supervisory levels to cope with critical issues facing the district? Yes No If No, then: 104. 105. 106. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 129 Approximately how many more positions should be added? Please check the type of specializations needed? a) Labor Relations d) Community Education b) Finance/Business e) Public Relations c) Curriculum 1') Other (specify) Do you subcontract for certain services, or employ consultants to supplement your administrative staff: a) No; b) Yes; 107. How many such persons or firms do you employ in a typical year? In your judgment, what is the status of the position of the super- intendent as the educational or community leader in your school district? (check one) a) decreasing in importance and influence? b) remaining about the same as it was 10 years ago? c) increasing in importance and influence? The following data will be useful in determining the work load of the superintendent of schools: (please fill in the blanks) What in your estimation is the number of hours that you devote to the superintendency during a typical week? About how many evenings in a typical week do you allocate to work related to the supe rintendency? About how many Saturdays in a typical month are devoted (whether for one hour or all day) to work related to the superintendency? About how many Sundays in a typical month are devoted (whether for one hour or all day) to work related to the superintendency? What time does your typical work day start? What time does your typical work day end? Are there things that prevent you from achieving even greater effectiveness as a chief school administrator? If so, please list them: a) b) e) d) 130 116. What are your future plans in the superintendency? Please check the one which reflects your current thinking: a) I definitely will continue in a superintendency, whether in this district or another, until of normal retirement age. I will continue in a superintendency, until I can qualify for minimum state retirement prior to normal retire- ment age. I will leave (probably) when I find a desirable position in a university. I will leave (probably) when I find a desirable position outside of education. This is an impossible position and I want to get out of the superintendency as soon as possible. I plan to remain until a position outside the super- intendency opens which allows me to make a greater contribution to education. BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Books American Association of School Administrators. The American School Superintendent. Washington, D.C.: American Association of School Adminis- trators, 1971. . Profile of the School Superintendent. Wash- ington, D.C.: AmeriCan AssociatIon ofISchool Administrators, 1960. Best, John W. Research in Education. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1959. Van Dalen, Deobold. Understanding Educational Research: An Ingroduction. New York: McGraw—HillIBook Co., Inc., 1962. Articles and Periodicals The American School Board Journal. "The Old Superin- Fowler, tendents: Candidates for Sainthood.” The American School Board Journal 163 (August 1976): 23-25. Charles. ”When Superintendents Fail.” The gmerican School Board Journal 164 (February 1977): 1-230 131