Secondary Education Principals/Superintendents
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to describe the leadership practices of ten (K–8) women administrators in public schools located in a Midwestern state. METHODOLOGY The participants were Midwestern women administrators in public schools, with a minimum of two years’ experience and certification as an administrator. Ninety-eight were contacted, and 30 completed the Leadership Practices Inventory and ten agreed to face-to-face interviews. Seven were married, seven had children, seven were in suburban districts (versus urban); and years as a teacher ranged from five to 26 years, and years as an administrator ranged from two to 15 years. Five were principals and five were assistant principals.
KEY FINDINGS The administrators scored in the moderate range (31 to 56) in all five leadership practices, with most frequent being Enable, Encourage and Model, followed by Challenge and Inspire.