Advanced Degrees

State of the Superintendency

The prevalence of advanced academic degrees among superintendents testifies to the benefit of advanced training and education. While state certification standards typically encourage or require advanced degrees, when the data are disaggregated by school district size, attainment of advanced degrees is less prevalent in small population and rural settings, owing perhaps to the unavailability of such programs.

Fewer than a third of superintendents in school districts enrolling under 2,500 students had earned an Ed.D., according to AASA’s latest nationwide survey. More than 50 percent of superintendents in districts with 2,500 or more students had attained an Ed.D.

Addressing this matter has led to the emergence of nontraditional cohort models for leadership development programs, such as those developed and delivered in partnership with AASA.