NAIS Leadership Research October 2002 Research Methodology Conducted

NAIS Leadership Research October 2002

Research Methodology § Conducted 2001 -02 through both qualitative and quantitative research § Heads’ focus group, phone interviews, and print surveys to random selection of heads and school administrators

Key Findings § Eight major areas: – Profile of current heads and administrators – Career paths – The leadership pipeline – Job satisfaction

Key Findings (cont. ) § Demands of the job § Preparation for leadership § Mentoring § Diversity at the top

Profile of School Heads § Seven in ten NAIS heads are men § Less than 4% are people of color § A majority of heads (52%) are in their 50 s § Most heads hold masters’ degrees or higher

Career Paths § Most heads and administrators have spent the bulk of their careers in independent education— 24 years on average for heads and 14. 6 years for administrators § Leaders are rarely promoted within their own schools— 76% of school heads and 60% of school administrators were hired from outside their current schools

Career Paths: Tenure § The average tenure that current heads report is 8. 1 years § The average for heads immediately preceding them is 9. 6 years

Career Paths: The Preferred Track § 64% of all heads were teachers at some point in their careers § 36% were division heads or principals directly before becoming heads § Contrast the above to the following percentages on administrative jobs held directly before becoming head: admissions officer (5%), development officer (3%), business officer (2%), diversity coordinator (0)

The Leadership Pipeline: Changes Ahead § Nearly 4 in 10 heads (37%) report that they will change jobs or retire in the next 5 years § 35% say that they will do the same in the next 6 -10 years § 53% of women want to move on in less than six years, whereas only 31% of men are planning to move in that same time period

When Heads Plan to Change Jobs or Retire

The Leadership Pipeline: Who’s Waiting in the Wings § Most school administrators, in general, are not interested in pursuing a headship in the future or even advancing into other leadership positions § Only 2 in 10 say they “definitely” (9%) or “probably” (11%) have as a goal to become a head of school § Only a third of school administrators report that they “definitely” (18%) or “probably” (15%) believe that one of their goals is to move up the ladder into any kind of further leadership position

The Leadership Pipeline: Who’s Waiting in the Wings § More than half of the administrators feel that they “definitely” (26%) or “probably” (29%) would rather stay in their current positions than move to more senior leadership positions § More than half of the administrators also believe that they “definitely” (35%) or “probably” (21%) would not like the demanding lifestyle of a head § More than half (52%) say that they don’t have the skills or experience to become a head

Administrators’ Views on Leadership

The Leadership Pipeline: The Ambitious Few § The greatest interest in becoming a head lies with those who are already assistant heads (46%) or division heads (36%) § Those who aspire to headships are largely male: 36% of the male administrators vs. 11% of the female administrators § Interest is slightly higher among people of color (27%) than white administrators (21%)

The Leadership Pipeline: The Ambitious Few § Those who aspire to headships are more likely to have had a mentor: 29% with mentors vs. 12% without § They are still young: 36% of those under 40 and 26% of those in their 40 s aspire to be heads

The Leadership Pipeline: Perspectives on the Supply § Most administrators and heads agree that there is not an adequate supply of candidates for leadership positions currently. Only 10% of heads and 11% of administrators feel that there are more good candidates than there are positions.

The Leadership Pipeline: Perspectives on Search Firms § Heads and administrators have mixed emotions about the ability of search firms to identify strong candidates for headships. Only 3% of heads say they feel search firms excel at locating strong candidates “all the time”, while 35% feel this “most of the time” and 51% feel this “some of the time. ” § Administrators express the same feelings in surprisingly similar percentages— 2%, 38%, and 48% respectively.

Job Satisfaction § Eight in ten heads of school feel being the head is worth the stress “all the time” (23%) or “most of the time” (59%) § However, less than half of all school administrators believe this is the case “all the time” (6%) or “most of the time” (41%)

Job Satisfaction: Parenting and Headships: Mutually Exclusive? § Just thee in ten heads (30%) agree that being the head of school is too time consuming for it to be a desirable job for parents with children at home either “all the time” (7%) or “most of the time” (23%) § However, women heads and heads with the shortest tenure are slightly more likely (37%) to feel this is the case § Nearly half (49%) of all administrators think this is the case “all the time” (15%) or “most of the time” (34%)

Views about Time Commitments

Job Satisfaction: The Highs and the Lows § Heads report that they are very content with the following aspects of their work: – Working in independent education (68% “completely satisfied, ” 29% “somewhat satisfied”) – City and town where they reside (61%, 28%) – Day-to-day safety at school (59%, 38%) – Working with their administrative team (58%, 38%)

Job Satisfaction: The Highs and the Lows (cont. ) § Heads are very content with: – Level of discipline and behavior of students (52% “completely satisfied, ” 43% “somewhat satisfied”) – The sense of community at their schools (52%, 40%)

Job Satisfaction: The Highs and the Lows (cont. ) § Heads report the following as their greatest areas of dissatisfaction: – Schedule and time commitments (9% “completely satisfied, ” 42% “somewhat satisfied”) – The amount of time they have for themselves and their families (8%, 35%)

Job Satisfaction: How Heads and Administrators Differ § There is an enormous amount of congruence between heads and administrators on their areas of job satisfaction, although there are some interesting areas of difference: – Fewer heads (42%) are “completely satisfied” with their interactions with students than administrators (56%) – Likewise, fewer heads (24%) are “completely satisfied” with their interactions with parents than administrators (35%) – On the other hand, a much smaller number of school administrators (23%) are “completely satisfied” with their compensation than heads (39%)

Demands of the Job § Independent school heads and administrators agree that providing vision and leadership and working with the school’s board are the greatest demands on the head’s time and energies § Beyond that, there are some interesting differences in how they perceive the job

Demands of the Job

Additional Demands—Percent who Also Teach

Preparation for Leadership § According to both heads and administrators, two types of experience make up the essential background for becoming a head: – Work in the independent school world – Teaching experience § Beyond that they perceive the value of various kinds of preparation quite differently

Importance of Different Skills/Experience

Are Those in the Pipeline Prepared to Step up to the Top Job? § Those administrators who feel most ready to take on headships are assistant/associate heads, those who teach, and those who have already decided they want to advance § And, in terms of responsibilities, they feel most prepared to work with parents and families (64% say “very well prepared”) and being available to students (59% say “very well prepared”)

Administrators’ Preparedness

The Mentoring Margin § Heads and administrators alike consider mentoring one of the most effective strategies for preparing more middle level staff for leadership positions § Nearly seven in ten (69%) heads—both women and men— indicate that they have had a mentor while working in independent schools § Most heads have themselves served as a mentor. Two-thirds of the heads (67%) say their mentees have gone on to become heads

Diversity at the Top § Today, less than 4% of school heads are people of color § Nearly eight in ten heads (79%) say a top factor is too few people of color in the pipeline in other positions in independent schools § A majority of heads (51%) also call a reluctance among search committees to hire non-traditional heads a major factor

Diversity at the Top: The Glass Ceiling? § About half of all heads and school administrators believe that people of color and women confront a glass ceiling that prevents them from moving up the ranks at least “some of the time” § Nearly six in ten heads (58%) believe there is a glass ceiling for people of color at least “some of the time”— 2% say this is true “all the time, ” 16% say this is true “most of the time, ” and 40% say “some of the time”

Diversity at the Top: The Glass Ceiling? (cont. ) § Forty-six percent of heads report there is a glass ceiling for women trying to advance at least “some of the time”— 1% say “all the time, ” 8% say “most of the time, ” and 37% say “some of the time”

Perceptions of Glass Ceiling

People of Color Perceive the Glass Ceiling Differently § 75% of administrators who are people of color compared to 46% of their white counterparts believe that a glass ceiling functions in schools at least “some of the time” § In another example, 81% of heads of color compared to only 49% of white heads believe that trustees are reluctant to hire outside the traditional mold

Are Women Less Ambitious? § Women in administrative positions express less ambition for leadership than do their male colleagues— 36% of men and only 12% of women say they “definitely” or “probably” want to become a head of school § In addition, 42% of the men and only 27% of the women express an interest in moving up the ladder into other leadership positions

Is Something Else at Play? § Women are more likely to see barriers to their advancement than men: – Only 22% of the male heads say that an old boys network is still in place to favor men, while 51% of the female heads say that it is alive and well – 32% of female heads believe that passing over women in favor of traditional male candidates is a major barrier to more female leaders, but only 12% of male heads feel that is the case

The NAIS Response § The Leadership Development Program § The Edward E. Ford Fellows Program § Topical workshops in collaboration with Klingenstein § Partnership with Board. Source § New head search process interactive guide

Thank You § Donna Orem – Vice President, Information, Research, and Strategic Initiatives – NAIS – 1620 L Street, NW – Washington, DC 20036 – orem@nais. org