Women in the field of education are strongly represented in the classroom but are much less likely to become school district superintendents. For decades, women have continued to attain the top district leadership role at a rate of slightly less than one to four, compared to their male counterparts. The purpose of this study was to understand how…

Women in education are strongly represented in the classroom but are much less likely to become school district superintendents. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how women who have been superintendents for at least 3 years experienced mentoring and role preparation as they worked to attain the position. A transcendental…

The significance of this study was to give an active voice to the experiences of women superintendents. By giving voice to the lived experiences of women superintendents, the study sought to further understand the phenomenon of women dominating the teaching profession and other entry-level positions in education yet having a noticeably limited…

The superintendent is one of the most important positions within public school districts because they have the capacity to influence policies, practices, and perceptions among school staff while simultaneously holding sway over the public. Yet, few Latinx administrators are hired into the superintendency -- even fewer are Latinas. Consequently,…

Several acts and movements have attempted to eliminate discrimination in employment opportunities. However, despite these acts and movements, there remains a disproportionate number of males in top leadership positions in public schools. Women who hold the position of superintendent in public school districts in Oklahoma from diverse backgrounds…

There continues to be a discrepancy between women, who comprise 77% of the public school institution, yet make up only 31% of the superintendency and only 34% of high school principalships. This study sought to examine those very personalized, professional, and intimate connections of women who serve as a high school principal or superintendent in…

This dissertation explored the external and internal barriers that exist for Latina (women) administrators on the path to school superintendency. In 2010, women comprised only 24% of superintendents in the United States. While there is research on the shortage of superintendents nationwide, there is scant research from the perspective of women.…

A gendered narrative that excludes the experiences, perspectives, and voices of women superintendents has dominated research regarding leadership development, leadership theory, and the school superintendency. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to provide women superintendents an opportunity to share their lived…

In the United States (U.S.), women are drastically underrepresented in the role of school superintendent. Women who seek the job face overwhelming barriers and exhibit characteristics different from men causing challenges in obtaining the superintendency. In this study, a content analysis was conducted of the 43 U.S. dissertations relating to…

Prior studies have indicated that qualified female administrators have not applied for superintendency positions because of possible work/family conflicts, but little research has been done on the work/family issues encountered by women in the superintendency or on the strategies they use to resolve these issues. In response, this study is an…

This study examined the networking and mentoring practices of female superintendents in California. Through a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data was collected from a survey using electronic questionnaires, and qualitative data was collected from open-ended questions on the survey and interviews. The survey response rate was 50%. Of the…

Six African American female superintendents who had served as superintendents in at least 2 school districts were interviewed to understand ways in which they responded to barriers and adversity in their roles, with a particular emphasis on issues related to sexism and racism. Study participants shared that they work to engage the community and…

Scant attention has been devoted to the study of public school assistant superintendents, particularly to those charged with the responsibilities of overseeing district-wide practices in regard to curriculum and instruction. This study provided an analysis of the career aspirations, career satisfaction, career efficacy, and career longevity, as…

This qualitative study examines the journey of females to the role of superintendent. This study is based on interviews of six female superintendents from Indiana and Illinois in cities with a population of 15,000 people or more. Three of the superintendents had more than 25 years of experience in education, and three of the superintendents had 25…

The authors' careers crossed and converged throughout the years they served as superintendents. When together, they often shared their past histories and discovered how much they all held in common. They were together on many panels to discuss the role of the superintendent and the paths they followed to achieve this goal. In this article, the…