A study of potential barriers that face female administrators and aspirants in the state of Alabama

This country will lose a substantial number of school principals due to retirements throughout the next decade (Kochan & Spencer, 1999). School boards will be forced to implement innovative recruitment tactics to fill these vacancies with competent and dedicated males and females. To adequately fill these positions, females will have to be given more consideration than they have been in past times. Historically, females have not been recognized or considered for administrative positions in proportion to the number of teaching positions they fill. Females have become more educated over the years and are now seeking advancement and pay that are equitable to their male counterparts. Females are aspiring to the top levels of educational administration and are looking for avenues to follow that will penetrate glass ceilings. This research uses chi-square to analyze the distribution of female and male principals in the state of Alabama, while comparing school levels (elementary or secondary), age, highest level of education, years of experience, and salaries to determine if differences exist between the groups