Demographic Factors Impacting Superintendent Decision Making and Problem Solving

• In Event: Roundtable Session 52
  In Roundtable Session: Issues at the Top: School Board Governance and Women in the Superintendency

Abstract

This paper is based on the findings of a mixed-methods research study conducted with school superintendents in the Mid-Atlantic Region (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania) using a decision-making and problem-solving survey instrument as a key quantitative assessment tool. The focus of this presentation is school superintendent decision-making and problem-solving processes based on the demographic factors of the 258 participating superintendents. The results of the study serve as valuable references to not only individual superintendents but also to university administrator-preparation professors and to state administrator licensure agencies. It is important for all aspiring superintendents to know the various decision-making and problem solving approaches used by superintendents and approach preferences based on superintendent background and/or school district context.

Authors

• Walter S. Polka, Niagara University

• Stephen J. Denig, Niagara University

• Peter R. Litchka, Loyola University Maryland