Key life events of successful school superintendents in North Carolina

Abstract

The problem in this study was to identify the key life events superintendents in North Carolina feel have contributed significantly to their success. Additionally, this study sought to ascertain the people who were instrumental in their careers, the training experiences that contributed most to their careers, the personal setbacks they experienced and from which they recovered, and the practices they implemented as a result of the knowledge gained from the identified key life events.

A survey was mailed to all 122 superintendents in North Carolina during the 1994-95 school year. Each superintendent was requested to provide a personal profile and nominate five successful superintendents based on their perception of success. An analysis of the responding superintendents’ nominations was done to determine the top give to be interviewed.

The data were analyzed using matrices to identify key life events and their contribution to the success of each superintendent’s career. Frequencies and percentages were presented in tables to show a comparison of the demographic responses by the responding superintendents to the sample.

Key life events of superintendents included: (1) seeking out significant others; (2) being willing to be mobile; (3) nurturing good relations with the boss; (4) getting different educational experiences; (5) serving in civic, professional, and community leadership roles; (6) involvement in leadership development programs; (7) valuing hard work; (8) having a supportive family/spouse; and (9) keeping priorities in order. The data also revealed incorporating socialization theory components appear vital for entry and sustained employment as superintendent of schools. A critique of this research, as well as recommendations for further study are also included.