For this comprehensive literature review, we begin by framing our study with a scholarship review of the theorizing of place-based leadership and rural administrators. We then synthesize research on the practice and experiences of district administrators, including superintendents, school boards, and other ancillary leaders. We identify multiple…

Educational outcomes for Black & brown students are the result of well-functioning school systems overwrought with top-down bureaucracy that stifle school-based leaders from generating school-based solutions. The dominant explanation is the growing power and influence of politically-driven school board members cut off from local, national, and…

Among the top reasons public school superintendents leave their positions is the poor relationships and conflicts with board members, and union representatives (Grissom & Mitani, 2016). The national average of superintendent tenure is less than four years resulting in K-12 leadership instability, at all levels of the school and district office…

Background: Schools are important contexts for preventing sexual violence (SV) among adolescents. Evaluating whether programming is effective requires surveying youth about SV experiences. However, school communities often have concerns about asking students, particularly those in middle school, about these experiences. This study sought to…

Evaluating the superintendent is the paramount duty of the school board. Current evaluation practices are inconsistent and meaningless for providing effective feedback. The researcher was interested in understanding this issue from the school board's perspective. Research questions addressed were: '(1) What current evaluation practices…

Politically charged education issues roiled the 2022 races for seats on state boards of education, yet none of the boards flipped partisan control. However, majority parties expanded their representation on boards in Colorado, Kansas, and Utah so far. Of the 63 seats on the ballot for 12 state boards, 35 incumbent candidates were reelected. This…

This qualitative research study was completed to understand better the essential components of an established partnership between the school superintendent and the school board president. A targeted group of New York school superintendents and school board presidents from school districts were interviewed. The participants answered questions on…

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 public school district superintendent turnover rates reached concerning levels in Oregon. This study explored relationships between superintendent longevity and superintendents' experiences with the school board, experiences in the school district, experiences related to their own health and safety, and…

The school district superintendency is one of the most challenging occupations within public education today and is characterized by high turnover rates (Yates & De Jong, 2018). At times, a public school superintendent experiences difficulties leading to their departure. Examples of such difficulties that require strong leadership skills are…

In the face of unprecedented challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic has tested the resilience and adaptability of educational systems worldwide. At the heart of this turmoil, the critical relationship between boards of education and superintendents has emerged as a focal point for both scrutiny and improvement. This dissertation examines the dynamics…

This study sought to examine the extent superintendent longevity relates to student performance as measured by graduation rates. Specifically, this study sought to examine how a district school superintendent's longevity provides conducive context through which student academic improvement programs, culture, and relationships could be established…

This study sought to determine whether there was a statistically significant correlation between school board behaviors and characteristics, and a superintendent's use of a transformational leadership model. The study was grounded in four research questions: Is there a statistically significant correlation between board behaviors and…

Perhaps no relationship is as crucial for practicing superintendents as the relationship with their school board presidents. This study examined which leadership traits of superintendents were most important according to superintendents and school board presidents in a rural state in the Midwest. A researcher-developed survey studied how important…

The narrative of superintendent's leaving school districts shortly after being hired is a national phenomenon with significant impacts on the capacity of educational systems to make progress and improvement. Exacerbated in high need/reform districts, evidence of dysfunction in the relationship between the superintendent and board of education…

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore community engagement experiences as perceived by board members, the superintendent, and community members in a high-performing school district in North Texas. Interviews with ten participants (five current school board members, one past school board member, one district superintendent, and…