Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Keith Cameron
Committee Member
Betty Boult
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
accountability, academic achievement, applied dissertations, Colorado, Colorado Department of Education, Colorado Student Assessment Program, CSAP, data-based accountability systems, educational change, educational research, empirical results, excellence in education, fourth grade reading assessment, reading achievement, school districts, student achievement, student assessment, superintendent turnover, superintendents, survey research
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to gather a greater understanding of the impact of superintendent turnover and the effect on student achievement. The data-based accountability systems in place in Colorado place a great deal of pressure on superintendents to produce empirical results indicating increased student achievement.
The author gathered data from the Colorado Department of Education for student achievement results for the 4th grade reading assessment as measured by the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) for academic years 2001, 2002, and 2003 and for superintendent turnover as measured during academic years 2001 and 2002. Randomly selected, 5 superintendents were to be surveyed to determine if their decision to leave their position was influenced by the increased expectations of CSAP and accountability. Use of the 5-setting categories was established to determine if superintendent turnover possessed a larger impact on school districts of varying size. The key indicators used were 4th grade reading CSAP and superintendent turnover.
This applied dissertation demonstrated that superintendent turnover did not impact 4th grade reading scores as measured by the 4th grade reading assessment of the CSAP.