A Case Study On The Influence Of Frequent Superintendent Turnover On The Culture Of A K-12 Suburban School District

The role of school superintendents is varied and complex. Further complicating this role is the issue of frequent superintendent turnover. While there is ample research addressing the links between superintendents and student achievement, superintendents’ relationships with school boards and the shortage of qualified superintendents across the country due to high turnover rates, there is little research focusing specifically on superintendent turnover’s influence on the culture of a district. The purpose of this study was to conduct an ethnographic, cross-case case study on the influence of superintendent turnover on the culture of a northeastern United States suburban K-12 school district. The intent of the study was to support the district profiled and the larger educational community in understanding the influence of frequent superintendent turnover on the culture of a district, as culture has been an area overlooked in empirical research. Although superintendent turnover has been studied in relation to student achievement and relationships with school boards, there is a lack of information on the influence of superintendent turnover on the culture of school organizations, which is of interest to researchers, school boards and school district communities