Relationship Between Student Academic Achievement and Gender of Campus Administrator

Studies of the effectiveness of women’s leadership have been recommended by researchers for over three decades (e.g. Eckman, 2004; Edson, 1988; Schmuck, 1981; Shakeshaft, 1989). Burke & Nelson (2002) and Smulyan (2000) have suggested that a woman’s leadership experience is fundamentally influenced by gender. As greater numbers of women fill educational administration positions previously held by men (Addi-Raccah, 2006; Rusch & Marshall, 2006), opportunities to study leadership differences and effectiveness of men and women in meeting unique demands of their campuses can be measured. Although issues related to women leaders in superintendent positions have been explored (Tallerico, 1999; Brunner, 1999; Blount, 1998; Grogan, 1996), few studies have investigated women’s leadership at the campus level (Goldberg, 1991; Ortiz 1982; Shakeshaft, 1989; Schneider, 1986). Furthermore, identification of the complex leadership attributes of women might clarify the dynamics of their advancement into campus administration (Burke &Nelson, 2002)