Date of Award

Spring 5-1-1999

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Rebecca W. Libler

Second Advisor

Todd Whitaker

Third Advisor

Gregory Ulm

Abstract

This study investigated the extent to which the "Ten Critical Characteristics of Servant-Leadership," according to Spears (1995, 1998), exist in public school superintendents in the state oflndiana. All 289 public school superintendents in the state of Indiana were sent a survey instrument which operationalized these characteristics. Alternative hypotheses were tested, and an analysis was conducted comparing the responses of the superintendents based on personal information and school district demographics. Personal information was defined as age, highest degree earned, and length of experience as a public school superintendent. School district demographics were defined as the number of students served based on the average daily membership (ADM) child count taken on September 18, 1998, and the assessed valuation per student of the school district. Additionally, exploratory hypotheses were presented and tested analyzing personal information and school district demographics on each of the individual characteristics of servant-leadership. Two hundred twenty-nine out of 289 public school superintendents in the state of Indiana responded to the survey instrument containing 100 statements which were designed around the "Superintendent's Responsibilities" developed by a joint American Association of School Administrators (AASA) and National School Boards Association (NSBA) committee in 1994. The overall guiding question for this study: "To what extent does servantleadership exist in public school superintendents in the state of Indiana as determined by their alignment with the 'Ten Critical Characteristics of Servant-Leadership'?" was answered by this study. Public school superintendents in the state oflndiana who have earned a doctoral degree, who have between 6-10 years of experience, and who represent school districts with a large student population presented responses that were most servant-leader-like. This furthers the assumption that the concept does exist in public school superintendents in the state of Indiana.

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