Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in School Leadership

Department

Center for Leadership & Learning

College

College of Education

Committee Chair

Dr. Christopher E. Trombly

Second Committee Member

Dr. Terry Nichols

Third Committee Member

Dr. Richard Abernathy

Dean of Graduate College

Dr. Mary B. Gunter

Abstract

The School Superintendent Mentoring Program was established in 2011 in Arkansas to provide essential training and support to enhance the new superintendents’ potential for success during their first year as school district leaders. This research study utilized a qualitative research approach in which an open-ended survey instrument was used to gather data. The Theory of Context Leadership served as the theoretical framework for this study. A systematic review of the data indicated that new superintendents perceived the program as beneficial, time spent with the mentor was helpful, finance was the topic about which participants had found it most important to focus, and that they would have benefitted from an additional year in the program. An analysis of the qualitative data focused on the following themes: a) the topics included in the induction program’s curriculum and b) the mentoring aspect of the program. The School Superintendent Mentoring Program has been shown to be beneficial to new superintendents and should be continued in order to ensure quality leadership in Arkansas.

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