Systems of Public School Leadership: A Phenomenological Study of San Mateo Superintendents on How They Enact Change

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Research Questions:
1. What is the experience of superintendents in initiating change within their school district?
3. What leadership skills and behaviors facilitate change?
4. Are there specific leadership skills necessary to implement effective and sustainable change
Semi-structured interview questions
1 What is your experience as a superintendent when you attempt to initiate change within your school district?

2. What have you done to overcome these barriers?

3. What have you done that has met with success in overcoming these barriers?

4.What are the skills do you think are the most needed in a superintendent who wants to effect change?

5 Is there anything you would like to add that seems important to understand about how your supervision effects change?
(see Appendix G)

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore leadership style perspectives or skills of San Mateo County superintendents related to their interest in effecting change. Effective leadership is a sought-after value in public schools. Research has shown that leadership is multi-dimensional and a complex process. The Education Consultants and Research Association (ECRA) has stipulated that improving student outcomes starts with a clear and compelling vision for student success. For many years, the community, as well as school boards, expect superintendents to only manage fiscal and personnel resources. However, this view has shifted to requiring them to have a vision of quality education. Thus, the current model superintendent is someone who demonstrates strong communication skills, has the innate ability to build relationships, and someone who has political acumen (ECRA Group). Researchers have found that interactions, protocols, and network of relationships are critical to the success of superintendents (Glass, 2005; Goens, 2009). The findings of this study should enhance leadership across the fields and create awareness of how visions towards inclusive education and efforts towards equity across grade and age levels are achieved. Additionally, Results of the study could potentially provide school boards with an understanding of what supports are helpful for superintendents to enact change
The participants in this study are superintendents in the San Mateo County school district. Permission to conduct the study will be requested directly from the Superintendents at the 19 San Mateo Districts. Email information of all superintendents will be gathered from the San Mateo County Office of Education. A general invitation to participate in the study will be sent out via email to all K-12 superintendents in the county (See Appendix A)
Potential participants who are interested in participating and who respond to the researcher via email will be given a copy of the permission to conduct the study (See Appendix B) and a link to the consent form (See Appendix C), which, along with the demographic survey, will be posted online.
After signing the consent form, participants will be able to access the demographic survey (See Appendix D). They will be asked to read the consent form and click “I agree” to give their consent to participate. They will also be given an opportunity on the consent form to request a one page summary of the results of the study. Once they have filled out the demographic survey they will be directed to a page containing an email address the researcher to schedule an interview appointment (See Appendix E).
The primary means to collect data are semi-structured interviews. The superintendents will participate in a face-to-face interview to describe their experience as a superintendent in initiating change in their school district. Superintendents will be interviewed at the time and place agreed upon by the superintendent and the researcher to gain research data about the superintendent’s leadership style. They will be informed that all data will be anonymous and no identifying information will be on the published report of the study. The researcher will use pseudonyms for district names and for participant names to protect their identity. Transcribing the interview tapes will assist the researcher for more accurate data analysis. The researcher will analyze her own personal values and biases for the purposes of enhancing the trustworthiness of the study (Creswell, 2003).
Superintendents with a full administrative credential, and who have worked with k-12 schools will be included in the study. Superintendents who have not attained their full administrative credential and have not worked with school districts for at least 2 years will not be included

Summary of results via email will be sent to the participants that request it. At the end of the demographic survey they will be directed to a page with the researcher’s email address. They will be told to contact her with their request for a one page summary of the results of the study and give her available times and suggested locations so that an interview can be scheduled (Appendix E).