ED470950 2002-12-00 Recruiting and

Retaining Rural School Administrators.

ERIC Digest.

ERIC Development Team

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Recruiting and Retaining Rural School Administrators. ERIC Digest..... 1

REASONS FOR THE SHORTAGE.......................................... 2

STRATEGIES FOR RECRUITING AND RETAINING RURAL

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS.......................................... 3

CONCLUSION.................................................................. 5

REFERENCES.................................................................. 5

ERIC Identifier: ED470950

Publication Date: 2002-12-00

Author: Howley, Aimee - Pendarvis, Edwina

Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools Charleston WV.

Recruiting and Retaining Rural School

Administrators. ERIC Digest.

THIS DIGEST WAS CREATED BY ERIC, THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

INFORMATION CENTER. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ERIC, CONTACT

ACCESS ERIC 1-800-LET-ERIC

School districts nationwide are finding it hard to recruit and retain administrators. About

half of all districts report a shortage of qualified applicants, with rural districts reporting

slightly larger percentages (National Association of Elementary School Principals and

ED470950 2002-12-00 Recruiting and Retaining Rural School Administrators. ERIC

Digest.

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National Association of Secondary School Principals, 1998). In general, the need for

secondary school principals seems to be somewhat greater than for elementary school

principals (Cooper, Fusarelli, & Carella, 2000). Rural states, such as Vermont, report

more unfilled principals' positions than in the past (Hinton & Kastner, 2000); and most

surveys, whatever the type of district, indicate that the average tenure of administrators

is shorter than it was (Glass, Bjork, & Brunner, 2000). Research has identified several

reasons for the shortage as well as strategies that show promise for eliminating it.

REASONS FOR THE SHORTAGE

Recent research (outlined below) suggests that job pressures may be the most serious

reason why school districts are finding it difficult to recruit and retain educational

leaders. Always demanding of time and energy, the administrative roles of rural

superintendents and principals are more complex and perhaps more stressful than ever

before. In the past 25 years, administrators have had to address increasing demands

for special programs, collaborative decision making, and accountability. In addition,

potential for conflict with school boards and various constituencies is greater in the face

of the heightened diversity of many rural communities. Long hours and relatively low

salaries add to problems in recruiting and retaining new leaders for rural schools, and

these problems may intensify if retirements occur at anticipated rates.

Pressure for increased programs, collaboration, and accountability. Federal and state

mandates have placed many new demands on administrators. The Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), for example, though it has improved education for

children with disabilities, adds to the complexity of school administrators' roles.

According to some sources, IDEA represents a major barrier to recruiting qualified

applicants (Ohio Department of Education [ODE], 2001). School reform legislation that

calls for site-based governance is also perceived as making administration harder.

Shared governance requires school leaders to relinquish power as well as to make use

of highly developed skills in interpersonal communication, negotiation, and conflict

resolution (Madsen & Hipp, 1999).

State accountability requirements are another source of pressure (Howley, Pendarvis, &

Gibbs, 2002; Ramirez & Guzman, 1999). Alabama principals regard accountability for

academic performance--measured by test scores--as the most significant change in

their jobs during the past five years (Kochan, Spencer, & Mathews, 1999).

Much of the pressure created by these mandates is caused by the lack of resources

needed to address them (Public Agenda, 2001). Superintendents say inadequate

resources detract most from their effectiveness (Glass et al.,2000), and principals

agree. For rural principals in Alabama, budgeting and unfunded mandates present

serious problems (Kochan, et al., 1999). Moreover, funding problems in rural schools

may increase with the "graying" of rural America, if retirees on fixed incomes continue to

reject higher taxes for education.

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Pressure on school leaders also comes from trying to reconcile the conflicting

expectations of different constituencies (Goens, 1998). Sometimes superintendents

leave one district for another because of conflict with an important constituency--their

school board. In fact, nearly 25 percent of superintendents who leave small districts

report conflict with the school board as their reason for leaving (Glass et al., 2000).

Long hours and low salaries. Rural principals have traditionally worked long hours

because they are expected to attend numerous school and community events, and the

long hours needed to meet these responsibilities make the principals' job seem

unappealing (Howley, Pendarvis, et al., 2002; ODE, 2001). Secondary school principals

report that working 60- to 80-hour weeks is not uncommon (Yerkes & Guaglianone,

1998). Perhaps more typical is the 45- to 60-hour week (Graham, 1997). Because of job

pressures and long hours, relatively low salaries can be especially demoralizing

(Cooper et al.,2000).

Inadequate salaries seem to play a role in discouraging educators from applying for

positions in rural districts (Cooper et al., 2000). On average, rural principals earn almost

a third less in yearly income than nonrural principals; and the differential between

teachers' and administrators' salaries is smaller than in nonrural districts (Stern, 1994).

If low salary differential creates a disincentive for teachers to move into administration,

that disincentive may be most acute in rural districts.

Impending retirements. Because of the projected retirements of many administrators in

the near future, districts anticipate having a large number of openings. During the

1990s, approximately 50 percent of all practicing administrators reached retirement age

(Yerkes & Guaglianone, 1998). And some states now predict that during the early years

of the 2000s there will be a large increase in that percentage. The executive director of

the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals, for example, predicts that

about 75 percent of Minnesota's high school principals will be eligible to retire by 2005

(Pugmire, 1999).

STRATEGIES FOR RECRUITING AND

RETAINING RURAL SCHOOL

ADMINISTRATORS

Recent research on the shortage of school administrators (described below) offers

some strategies for addressing the problem. Among these are strategies positioned to

improve recruitment of new administrators: (1) publicizing the satisfactions of the job, (2)

encouraging applications from women and minorities, (3) improving salaries and

benefits, and (4) providing professional development programs that enable new

administrators to meet the challenges of educational leadership. Some of these

strategies may also help to increase retention of school leaders. Improved professional

development, for example, not only gives administrators the confidence to take on the

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ED470950 2002-12-00 Recruiting and Retaining Rural School Administrators. ERIC

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leadership role at the beginning of their careers, these programs also provide

administrators with the competence to achieve success and, as a result, to realize

satisfaction through their work. Satisfaction associated with making a difference for

children and families turns out to be a powerful motivator for most administrators

(Howley, Pendarvis, et al., 2002). Another important strategy for retaining competent

school leaders is to help them build and sustain support networks. Such networks have

been found to be particularly encouraging to rural principals who may not be able to find

mentors and supportive colleagues within their own districts (Howley, Chadwick, &

Howley, 2002).

Publicize satisfactions of school administration. The job satisfaction ratings of rural

principals, except their ratings for income, are as high as or higher than those of

nonrural principals (Stern, 1994). And similarly high levels of satisfaction are also

reported by rural superintendents (Ramirez & Guzman, 1999). Clearly, school

leadership has satisfactions as well as hardships. According to Howley, Pendarvis, and

Gibbs (2002), these satisfactions center on the ability to make a difference for children,

parents, teachers, and communities. Publicizing such satisfactions may be an effective

way to recruit teachers to positions of school leadership.

Recruit more women and minorities. Despite the predominance of female teachers,

administrative positions are held predominantly by men. And even with increased

numbers of female and minority group educators becoming prepared as administrators,

school districts continue mostly to hire white men (Glass et al., 2000). Qualified women

and minority educators provide an important resource for meeting current and

impending administrator shortages (Cooper et al., 2000). To tap into this resource,

however, districts will need to become more open-minded about the types of individuals

whom they believe can achieve success as school leaders. And leadership preparation

programs will need to make special efforts to encourage women and minority applicants

by partnering with local "grow-your-own" and "aspiring principal" programs.

Improve salaries and benefits. Even though many rural districts face economic

hardships, they should nevertheless think about investing in leadership. Improved

salaries are clearly one way to make this investment, but local boards can also provide

benefit packages that are attractive to principals and superintendents (ODE, 2001).

Providing stipends for advanced course work, offering portable pension plans, and

paying moving expenses are among the optional benefits recommended in recent

reports.

Improve professional development. Of superintendents in rural and smaller districts,

only 43 percent have doctorates, compared to 64 percent overall (Cooper et al., 2000),

suggesting a need to increase access to formal preparation programs through distance

learning and paid leave. Access to less formal programs, especially those that focus on

networking, also seems to be important for increasing the competence as well as the

job satisfaction of rural administrators (Howley, Chadwick, et al., 2002). Indeed, relevant

graduate programs and other opportunities for professional development may be highly

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effective in attracting new applicants, supporting the work of beginning principals, and

sustaining the enthusiasm of veteran administrators.

CONCLUSION

Rural school administration has been made more complex and stressful by a changed

social context. Difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified administrators suggest an

imbalance between the demands of the job and the resources available to meet those

demands, particularly in underfunded districts. Research suggests the advisability of

adopting specific strategies to address the growing shortage. Among these, rural

districts might specifically want to focus on efforts to publicize the satisfactions of

administration, encourage applications from women and minorities, increase salary and

benefits, and provide access to relevant professional development.

REFERENCES

Cooper, B. S., Fusarelli, L. D., & Carella, V. A. (2000). Career crisis in the

superintendency? The results of a national survey. Arlington, VA: American Association

of School Administrators. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 443 167)

Glass, T. E., Bjork, L., & Brunner, C. C. (2000). The study of the American school

superintendency, 2000: A Look at the superintendent of education in the new

millennium. Arlington, VA: American Association of School Administrators. (ERIC

Document Reproduction Service No. ED 440 475)

Goens, G. A. (1998). Too many coxswains: Leadership and the principalship. NASSP

Bulletin, 82(600), 103-110.

Graham, M. W. (1997, March). School principals: Their roles and preparation. Paper

presented at the National Conference on Creating the Quality School, Oklahoma City,

OK. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 411 576)

Hinton, L., & Kastner, J. (2000). Vermont's principal shortage. Retrieved December 12,

2002, from http://www.uvm.edu/~vlrs/doc/vermonts_principal_shortage.htm.

Howley, A., Chadwick, K., Howley, C. W. (2002, April). Networking for the nuts and

bolts: The ironies of professional development for rural principals. Paper presented at

the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans,

LA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 463 908)

Howley, A., Pendarvis, E., & Gibbs, T. (2002, October 16). Attracting principals to the

superintendency: Conditions that make a difference to principals. Education Policy

Analysis Archives, 10(43). Retrieved December 12, 2002, from

http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v10n43.html.

Kochan, F. K., Spencer, W. A., & Matthews, J. (1999, April). The changing face of the

ERIC Resource Center www.eric.ed.gov

ED470950 2002-12-00 Recruiting and Retaining Rural School Administrators. ERIC

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principalship in Alabama: Role, perceptions, and gender. Paper presented at the annual

meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Quebec,

Canada. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 431 232)

Madsen, J., & Hipp, K. A. (1999). The impact of leadership style on creating community

in public and private schools. International Journal of Educational Reform, 8(3),

260-273.

National Association of Elementary School Principals and National Association of

Secondary School Principals. (1998). Is there a shortage of qualified candidates for

openings in the principalship? An exploratory study. Arlington, VA: Educational

Research Service.

Ohio Department of Education. (2001). Toward the development of statewide policy to

address the Ohio principal shortage: Recommendations of the Ohio Association of

Elementary School Administrators/Ohio Association of Secondary School

Administrators. Columbus, OH: Author.

Public Agenda. (2001). Trying to stay ahead of the game: Superintendents and

principals talk about school leadership. New York: Public Agenda Online. Retrieved

December 12, 2002, from

http://www.publicagenda.org/specials/leadership/leadership.htm.

Pugmire, T. (1999, April 10). The principal shortage [radio broadcast]. St. Paul, MN:

Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved December 12, 2001, from

http://news.mpr.org/features/199908/30_pugmiret_safety/principal.sht ml.

Ramirez, A., & Guzman, N. (1999, October). The rural school district superintendency:

A Colorado perspective. Paper presented at the annual conference of the National

Rural Education Association, Colorado Springs, CO. (ERIC Document Reproduction

Service No. ED 437 235)

Stern, J. D. (1994). The condition of education in rural schools. Washington, DC: U.S.

Government Printing Office. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 371 935)

Yerkes, D. M., & Guaglianone, C. L. (1998). Where have all the high school

administrators gone? Thrust for Educational Leadership, 28(2), 10-14.

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Dr. Aimee Howley is Professor of Educational Administration and Chair of the

Educational Studies Department at Ohio University.

Dr. Edwina Pendarvis is Drinko Fellow and Professor of Gifted Education in the

Marshall University School of Education.

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Page 6 of 7 ED470950 2002-12-00 Recruiting and Retaining Rural School Administrators. ERIC

Digest.
This publication was prepared with funding from the Office of Educational Research and

Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under contract no. ED-99-CO-0027. The

opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of OERI,

the Department, or AEL.

Title: Recruiting and Retaining Rural School Administrators. ERIC Digest.

Document Type: Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs)

(071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073);

Available From: AEL, P.O. Box 1348, Charleston, WV 25325-1348. Tel: 800-624-9120

(Toll Free). For full text: http://www.ael.org/ERIC/digests/edorc02-7.pdf.

Descriptors: Administrative Problems, Administrators, Collegiality, Elementary

Secondary Education, Job Satisfaction, Labor Turnover, Quality of Working Life,

Recruitment, Rural Schools, Work Environment

Identifiers: Administrative Stress, ERIC Digests, Principal Shortage

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