An analysis of trends and conditions in school districts with black superintendents and a composite profile of the black superintendent at his/her initial appointment

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the trends, characteristics and the superintendent's perceptions in school districts with black superintendents. To accomplish this objective, seven hypothesis statements were used to examine nine variables related to financial and racial data in the selected districts.

The population for this study consisted of 83 black superintendents, serving in school districts in 14 states. The participants were asked to provide biographical data and respond to a five-point rating scale that represented their perception on statements related to trends and characteristics in their districts. The demographic data was collected from the United States Census Bureau and the Joint Center for Political Studies.

The two-section instrument used in the study was developed by the researcher. The first section collected biographical data used to establish the superintendent's profile. The second part of the instrument consisted of 30 Likert type statements used to establish the superintendents' perceptions.

The profile data on the superintendents was analyzed using the statistical package for Social Science (SPSS) frequency distribution and cross-tabulation procedures. The demographic data was analyzed using SPSS frequency distribution, means, cross-tabulation and standard deviation. The Runs Test (at .05 significance level) was used to substantiate data randomness and to examine trends. The findings reveal definite trends and unique conditions in school districts with black superintendents.