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Wednesday, October 21, 2009 Results of UNI's superintendent job satisfaction survey released CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The results of an Iowa superintendent job satisfaction survey, conducted by the University of Northern Iowa Institute for Educational Leadership in the spring of 2009, have been released. The results show nearly 92 percent of Iowa superintendents are satisfied overall with their job, and almost 79 percent indicated they would become superintendents if they had to do it over.
The survey also indicated that nearly 88 percent of the superintendents in this study feel stress in their routine, day-to-day performance of their duties. Additionally, 92 percent felt stress as they prepared the 2010 fiscal year budget.
The nearly 92 percent of superintendents surveyed reporting they are moderately or very satisfied overall with their job is an increase from the 2004 study in which 88 percent reported satisfaction. This is an interesting finding in light of a difficult economy, minimal allowable growth in school budgets, and the demands for higher student achievement and closing the achievement gap.
The respondents were asked about factors that inhibit their effectiveness. Nearly 47 percent indicated that inadequate finances/funding was the factor that most inhibits their effectiveness. Other factors included lack of time (19 percent), negotiated agreements (14 percent) and community politics (7 percent). Overall, respondents indicated that finance and funding was the greatest issue of urgency in their district.
The superintendents surveyed were asked to identify the three most satisfying and dissatisfying aspects of their jobs. Thirty-four percent reported working with people (including staff, student and other administrators) or being part of a good education community and network was the most satisfying aspect of the job. The second most reported satisfying aspect of the job, at nearly 26 percent, was seeing successes, achievements and overall good results of both students and teachers. Almost 11 percent reported relationships and interrelationships with teachers, students, parents and school board members are the most satisfying aspect of being a superintendent.
Among the dissatisfying aspects of the job, 23 percent listed budget, funding cuts, limited financial resources and increasing poverty; 12 percent listed lack of time, lack of student interaction, lack of balance and loneliness; and, nine percent listed personnel issues, board meetings and lack of respect as dissatisfying characteristics of being a superintendent.
The survey also found 78 percent of respondents indicated that the No Child Left Behind Act has somewhat or significantly improved student achievement accountability on instructional practices, an increase of nearly 16 percent from the 2004 study.
An additional finding of the study noted that 29 percent of superintendents surveyed said they would consider retiring in the next one to three years while nearly 20 percent of superintendents surveyed indicated they would consider retirement in the next four to six years.
In 1996, the Institute for Educational Leadership at the University of Northern Iowa developed a study to find the satisfaction level of Iowa superintendents. In the spring of 2004, the survey was updated to include the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act. The survey sent to superintendents in the spring of 2009 was not changed significantly from the 2004 survey, according to Shannon Erb, program assistant in the UNI Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling and Postsecondary Education.
The surveys were sent to all 341 Iowa superintendents and 202, or 59 percent, returned completed surveys. The mean number of years served in their current district was five years and 77 percent have been a superintendent for less than 15 years. Almost 99 percent of the superintendents who responded were white and 90 percent were men.
For additional results and information on the survey, contact Shannon Erb at (319) 273-2026.
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