A 10-year linear gender-equity and salary-trend study among Missouri superintendents : a glance a Missouri superintendents' pathway to the superintendency

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The purpose of this study was to (a) seek trend information to determine the percentage of male and female superintendents over the past 10 academic school years (2002-2012), (b) investigate linear salary trends based on gender, disaggregated by school-district enrollment and Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) region of employment during the 2002-2012 academic school years, and (c) investigate the employment path of Missouri superintendents. This mixed-methods study focused on two sets of data, one obtained from an official at the DESE; the second from nine individual superintendent interviews. Key quantitative findings of the study indicated there are three times as many male superintendents as female superintendents; the percentage of female superintendents has increased 6.4% from 2003-2012; in almost every region of the state, male superintendents had a higher salary than female superintendents; and school-district enrollment affected superintendents' salaries. Key qualitative findings of the study reveal district enrollment affected a superintendent's salary, male superintendents spent less time teaching prior to entering administration than female superintendents, superintendents were more likely to have previously taught at the secondary level, and gender does not affect salary but may affect the ability to obtain a superintendent position.