McREL study finds superintendents can have positive influence on student achievement
October 4, 2006
Denver
— Results from an extensive analysis conducted by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) of research on the effect of superintendents on student achievement concludes that effective district leaders can have a significant, positive influence on student achievement. McREL is a Denver-based education research organization that has conducted several large examinations of research examining the impact of schools, leaders, and teachers on student achievement.
Using a sophisticated research technique called a meta-analysis, McREL combined data from separate studies into a single sample, creating what McREL believes to be the largest-ever quantitative examination of research on superintendents. The study produced four major findings.
Finding 1: District-level leadership matters
The McREL research team, led by McREL President and CEO Tim Waters and McREL Senior Fellow Robert J. Marzano, found a statistically significant relationship (a positive correlation of .24) between district leadership and student achievement.
Finding 2: Effective superintendents focus their efforts on creating goal-oriented districts
McREL researchers also identified five district-level leadership responsibilities that have a statistically significant correlation with average student academic achievement. All five of these responsibilities relate to setting and keeping districts focused on teaching and learning goals.
Finding 3: Superintendent tenure is positively correlated with student achievement
McREL found two studies that looked specifically at the correlations between superintendent tenure and student achievement. The weighted average correlation in these two studies was a statistically significant .19, which suggests that length of superintendent tenure in a district positively correlates to student achievement. These positive effects appear to manifest themselves as early as two years into a superintendent's tenure.
An unexpected and perplexing finding: Effective superintendents appear to provide school leaders with "defined autonomy"
A set of findings from the meta-analysis that at first appears contradictory involves building-level autonomy within a district. One study reported that building autonomy has a positive correlation of .28 with average student achievement in the district, indicating that an increase in building autonomy is associated with an increase in student achievement. That same study reported, however, that site-based management had a negative correlation with student achievement of (-) .16, indicating that an increase in site-based management is associated with a decrease in student achievement.
Researchers concluded from this finding that effective superintendents provide principals with "defined autonomy." That is, they set clear, non-negotiable goals for learning and instruction, yet provide school leadership teams with the responsibility and authority for determining how to meet those goals.
"As a researcher, one of the most exciting aspects of these findings are how well they align with and support the large body of research that McREL has conducted over the past several years on effective teachers, school leaders, schools, and now districts," said Marzano, co-author of the report. "From this emerging science and art of education, a clear picture is forming of what it takes to help all students achieve."
"Twenty years ago, former Secretary of Education William Bennett asserted that district administrators are part of the problem — a 'blob' getting in the way of student success," noted Waters, the report's other co-author. "However, our research demonstrates that, to the contrary, school district leaders can be part of the solution. We hope that these findings will help district administrators and school board members focus on the 'right work' in the 'right way' to help all students achieve."
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McREL is a nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization located in Denver, Colo., dedicated to improving education for all students through applied research, product development and service. In 2005, McREL provided research-based guidance to educators and policymakers in 45 states in the U.S. and three foreign countries.
