2012 UCEA Convention

The perceived quality of life among school district superintendents in Illinois. Teresa Akinyi Wasonga, Northern Illinois University; Debra J Heffernan, Northern Illinois University
This study was based on Frisch’s Quality of Life Theory (1994), which intimates a connection between an individual’s satisfactions with a particular area of life based on the importance or value accorded this area by the individual. A higher percentage of female superintendents reporting “high” on overall quality of life with a significant effect size demonstrate that female superintendents are in fact, more satisfied with their quality of life. Why Superintendents Turn Over. Jason Grissom, Vanderbilt University; Stephanie Andersen, Washington University, St. Louis
Despite the importance of superintendent stability for district reform, almost no research has examined the antecedents of superintendent turnover on a systematic basis. This study draws on administrative data and unique survey data from a representative sample of both superintendents and school board members in California from 2005-06 to identify the factors that predict superintendent turnover. We also draw on news accounts and other sources to help identify why superintendents left.
Women Superintendents: Does Age Matter? Kerry Robinson, Virginia Commonwealth University A great deal of research on superintendents looks at comparisons between male and female
superintendent statistics, one such statistic being the age of the superintendent. Typically, research on the age of the woman superintendent is often investigated. The purpose of this qualitative study is to find if age makes a difference to the women who ascend to the superintendency and if it affects how they operate while they hold the position.
Women leaving the superintendency in Texas: A case of lowered expectations. Tanya Monroe, Memphis ISD; Sylvia Mendez-Morse, Texas Tech University
There are very few women superintendents in Northwest Texas. This qualitative study of three female superintendents showed that their experiences and reasons for exiting the position were similar to those of men superintendents: school board relations, public criticism, time/stress management, political and financial worries, moving to a better position, and retirement. However for these women, gender discrimination in the workplace at times compounded their experiences in the superintendency and provided reasons for their exit.