Excessive School District Superintendent Turnover: An Explorative Study in Texas, 1(6)

Abstract

Studies conducted over the last 10 years indicate that the average national turnover rate for superintendents is 13.5%. In Texas the rate has increased from near 15% in 1992 to almost 19%. This study of the 183 professionals who left the superintendency in Texas after the 1994-95 school year shows that changes in employment positions often involve poor working relationships with school boards. Some superintendents exited that role. A high level of stress may perhaps be linked with this exiting phenomenon. The study points to needs for improved training in superintendent preparation programs and board training, and to a need for further study of both turnover and exiting.