CRESPAR Report #55: The Public School Superintendency in the Twenty-First Century: The Quest to Define Effective Leadership

Abstract

This study examines research on public school leadership effectiveness, focusing specifically on the superintendent. The author begins with a discussion of the historical mission to define leadership effectiveness, followed by a review of existing research on effective school districts and superintendents. The author also analyzes how superintendent effectiveness is defined and measured, and concludes that this is one of the major shortcomings in the knowledge base. The report then details the obstacles that superintendents face in effectively managing a school system including instability, the politicization of the profession, and superintendent and school board relations. Finally, the author discusses implications for further research and offers suggestions for expanding the research base.