Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Dissertation Chair for Rhodena Townsell, Dissertation Defense PPT

1. 1
RURAL AFRICAN AMERICAN ADMINISTRATOR
CAREER TRAJECTORIES
A Dissertation Defense
by
Rhodena Townsell
January 26, 2009
Chair: William Allan Kritsonis, Ph.D.

2. 2
Committee Members
William Allan Kritsonis, Ph.D.
( Dissertation Chair)
David Herrington, Ph.D. Camille Gibson, Ph.D.
(Member) (Member)
Donald Collins, Ph.D.
(Member)

3. 3
Dissertation Defense Format
I. Purpose of the Study
II. Research Questions
III. Conceptual Framework
IV. Method
V. Major Findings
VI. Conclusions
VII. Implications
VIII. Challenge
IX. Recommendations for Further Study
X. References

4. 4
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to describe
factors that influence the career trajectories
of successful rural African American
administrators. Literature suggests that aspiring
school leaders may gain insight from the
experiences of others that will result in a better
understanding of the diverse career pathways
toward successful school leadership (Crenshaw,
2004).

5. 5
Research Questions
1. What childhood and academic experiences, including
encouragements and barriers, influence the career pathways of
rural African American administrators?
2. What work experiences, including encouragements and barriers,
Influence the career pathways of rural African American
administrators?
3. What characteristics of rural African American administrators
appear to influence their career pathways?

6. Conceptual Framework
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7. Conceptual Framework
Supporting Literature
This framework was constructed because traditional
models in leadership are developed by using mostly
Caucasian males and should not be generalized for
other groups of individuals (Kezar & Moriarty, 2000).
Theodore Kowalski, an authority in the area of
educational administration, relates that other groups of
individuals experience the world in their own unique
way (Valverde & Brown (1988) cited in Kowalski, 2003).
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8. 8
Method
• Qualitative Descriptive Study
• Data was collected in the form of Structured Personal Interviews
• A review of literature was the basis for preliminary theme
identification
• Member Checking was utilized to give the interview participants
an opportunity to review and clarify their responses to the
interview questions
• Data was reduced and extracted by clustering and marginal
coding (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2006; Miles & Huberman, 1994)
• Microsoft Word was used as the transcribing tool

9. 9January 26, 2009
Method
An 80% response rate was collected from the 20 Texas Regional
Education Service Centers & the Texas Alliance of Black School
Educators (TABSE) by Snowball Sampling.
A Population of 17 African American administrators from eight
remote Texas Rural Systemic Initiative (TRSI) school districts was
discovered. Five of the districts were located in East Texas, Two
in West Texas, and one in Central Texas.
A total of seven individuals agreed to participate in the study. One
was interviewed for the pilot study and the remaining six became
the sample.

10. Method
A Pilot Study was conducted using the interview questions from
the dissertation, Small Missouri Public School Female
Superintendent Career Stories (Benson, 2006).
Prior to the study, the words superintendent and
superintendency were replaced with the words administrator and
administrative and the word gender was replaced with word race.
The word Missouri was replaced with the word Texas.
After the pilot study, the first question was divided into two
separate questions because of the lengthy nature of the response
necessary for the first half of the question. Questions 7 and 8 were
added to the instrument to obtain information to answer research
question 3. All changes to the interview instrument were reported to
the IRB.
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11. 11
Method
Interview Questions
1. Would you tell me about your childhood?
2. Would you tell me about your educational background?
3. How long have you been in the education field? How long as an
administrator?
4. What motivated you to want to become an administrator?
5. What pathways or guiding compasses did you take to obtain
your position?
6. In seeking an administrative position, do you think
there were or are race specific career pathways or
guiding compasses?

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Method
7. What things inspire and renew you?
8. Do you prefer to work in a rural setting? If so why?
9. Do you have any recommendations for aspiring rural
African American administrators about the career
pathways or guiding compasses they need to take to
obtain an administrative position in a rural Texas
public school?
10. Is there any other information that you would like to add?

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Major Findings
Rural African American Administrator Population by Gender
____________________________________________________
Administrators Males Females
____________________________________________________
Superintendents 0 1
Assistant Superintendents 1 0
Principals 5 5
Assistant Principals 2 2
Program Coordinators 0 1
_____________________________________________________

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Major Findings
Sample Administrators by Job Assignment
____________________________________________
Administrators Frequency
____________________________________________
Superintendents 1
Principals 3
Assistant Principals 1
Program Coordinators 1
____________________________________________

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Major Findings
Emerging Themes
“DIRECT”
• Determined to Do Well
• Isolated yet
Rurally Connected
• Enduring
• Communicators of Discipline
• Trusting in the Will of God

16. Major Findings
Emerging Theme One
Research Question One: What childhood and academic
experiences, including encouragements and barriers,
influence the career pathways of rural African American
administrators?
Determination to Do Well

17. Major Findings
Supporting Literature
Emerging Theme One: Determination to do Well
• Personal drive, confidence and commitment
• Leadership preparation
• Willingness understand and respect other cultures
• Willingness to build positive relationships
• Professionalism (Bush et al, 2005)
• Personal determination, courage and hard work
(Kowalski, 2003)

18. Major Findings
Determination to do Well
• Encouragements: Family, Community, Friends and Teachers
Two individuals from two parent homes quoted, “It takes a village.”
Family and community members taught them to, “value work, respect
others and do well”. One person, from a single parent became an Eagle
scout. The highest rank in scouting. Oath: I will do my best...
• Barriers: Abuse, Poverty, and Negative Talk
One individual from a divorced family was encouraged to by a friend
after a teacher spoke negatively about her desire to become an
educator. Two more were from single parent homes. One of these was
raised by older siblings and encouraged to do well. The other one lived
in poverty after being rescued by a grandmother from abuse at the
hands of her 16 year old mother. She was validated by teachers a who
called her smart.
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19. Major Findings
Emerging Theme One
Determination to do Well
Many contrasts were found in the childhood and
academic experiences of the administrators in the
sample. Sample members reported childhood
experiences that ranged from being nurtured and
privileged to those of coping with poverty and abuse.
The early support and validation received by these
administrators was the chief factor in the development
of their determination to do well.

20. Major Findings
Emerging Themes Two & Three
Research Question Two: What work experiences, including
encouragements and barriers, influence the career pathways
of rural African American administrators?
EnduringIsolated yet Rurally Connected

21. Major Findings
Supporting Literature
Emerging Theme Two: Isolated Yet Rurally Connected
– Rural Backgrounds, Personal Characteristics, or Educational
Experiences (Collins, 1999)
– Childhood Memories (Turner, 2004)
– Family Ties (Whitner, Jen, & Kassel)
– Isolation (Collins, 1999)
• Professional
• Social
• Geographic

22. Major Findings
Isolated Yet Rurally Connected
• Encouragements: Family Ties, Community, Identification with
the current school or with rural schools
Four attended rural schools, Two grew up in large cities. All had only
rural experience. Two said, “Rural schools represent family.” One
related that it was her husband’s dream to live in a rural area.
• Barrier: Isolation (Professional, Social, and Geographic)
Each was the only African American administrator on the campus or at
the central office. One said that his wife was the only other African
American educator in the district. The pilot study administrator was the
first and only African American administrator in his district. One
administrator added the words, “few and far in between.” Another said,
it’s lonely at the top.”
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23. Major Findings
Supporting Literature
Emerging Theme Three: Enduring
• Rural poverty is at an all-time high
– Particularly in schools with large populations of African
American students
• New rural teachers are likely to face inadequate
housing (Laub, 2007)
• New rural teachers are most likely to feel isolated
(Laub, 2007)
• Rural educators may be asked to work toward
additional certification
• Rural educators have smaller incomes (TEA, 2007)

24. Major Findings
Salary Averages: Sample Rural Districts, One Urban District, and Texas
School Teacher Campus Central Office
20 + Yrs Administration Administration
1 $48,990 $59,839 $67,165
2 $48,291 $58,646 $70,426
3 $48,795 $48,141 $78,946
4 $46,268 $54,941 $71,975
5 $48,880 $61,898 $73,975
6 $45,647 $54,765 $65,256
7 $48,202 $52,196 $85,000
8 $49,937 $66,222 $63,863
Urban District $64,038 $71,071 $80,084
Texas $55,028 $65,506 $80,875
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25. Major Findings
Supporting Literature
Emerging Theme Three: Enduring
• Rural educators tend to work in their districts for
many years before an administrative opportunity
comes along.
• Rural Board practices and attitudes can be negative
(Bates,2007)
• Rural Educators must be willing to work with other
cultures (Bush et al, 2005)
• Rural administrators must wear many hats (Benson,
2006) “Jack of all trades” (Laub, 2007)
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26. Major Findings
Comparison: Rural Sample Turnover Rates to that of Texas________________
School District Percentage of Turnover
___________________________________________________________________
School 1 11%
School 2 23.3%
School 3 32%
School 4 17.9%
School 5 21.6%
School 6 14.9%
School 7 17.9%
School 8 31.9%
State of Texas 15.6%
________________________________________________________________
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27. Major Findings
Comparison of Years in Education to Years in Administration___
Years in Education Years in Administration
__________________________________________________
42 32
28 16
28 9
15 10
11 8
10 3
___________________________________________________

28. Major Findings
Enduring
• Encouragements: Success of Students and Teachers, Family Ties,
and Community Support
Two administrators named student and teacher success as their
encouragement, One named family ties, One was living out a dream,
and another was told that she was born to do it by a professor. Her
entire community (African Americans and Caucasians) insisted that she
apply for a leadership position. All enjoyed the profession of education.
• Barriers: Turnover Rates, Assignment Practices, Number of
Responsibilities, Privacy Issues, Miscommunication, and Unwritten
Policy (Community Attitudes and Taboos)
One administrator remained determined and19 years passed before
she was promoted. The others contrasted with the literature findings
and worked an average of 7.4 years before administration. Another was
discouraged by the lack of rules and cited their lack of privacy
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29. 29
Major Findings
Conclusion Two
Isolated Yet Rurally Connected and Enduring
Each of the administrators in the study was
the only African American administrator: on the campus,
in the district, or at the central office level and each held
a viable connection to his or her school district. All of
these administrators successfully navigated their rural
systems long enough gain promotion.

30. Major Findings
Emerging Themes Four & Five
Research Question Three: What characteristics of rural
African American administrators appear to influence their
career pathways?
Trusting in the will of GodCommunicators of Discipline

31. Major Findings
Supporting Literature
Communicators of Discipline
– Understanding of the culture and the expectations
of the school and the surrounding community
(Depit, 1988)
– Minority student improvement
– Willingness to build positive relationships
– Professionalism
– Appointed without interviews or external
competition (Bush, et al, 2005)

32. Major Findings
Communicators of Discipline
• Encouragements: Stakeholders
Four administrators were moved into administration before certification. Quotes
were, “The district was accustomed to Black leadership” “looking for someone
to handle the situation” “Workhorse” “Good disciplinarian” “Born to do it.” One
administrator was hired as the principal after one year as an assistant principal.
Another was recruited and hired after her predecessor (Caucasian) was sued
by an African American group for allegedly mishandling a young student.
• Barriers: Availability of Positions and Promotion Practices
The turnover rates for the teachers in six of the eight sample school districts
were higher than the 15.6% average for the state of Texas (TEA, 2007). The
researcher has experienced that turnover rate for rural administrators is lower.
Usually someone has to retire or die.
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33. Major Findings
Supporting Literature
Emerging Theme Five: Trusting in the Will of God
African American administrators in the Bush (2005),
Echols (2007), and Turner (2004) studies indicated that
that leaders should believe in God.
These leaders believed that holding God in high
esteem and praying when there was trouble in their
personal and professional lives was beneficial.

34. Major Findings
Trusting in the Will of God
• Encouragements: Personal Beliefs and Perceptions
of Blessings
Quotes from the study were, “It was God’s will for us to always
do well,” “Sunday was the first day of the week at my house”,
“…and God moved again…,” “Just have faith. God will move
you when it is His will,” “God showed me that this is where He
wanted me to be,” and "Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways
acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs
3:5-6).
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Major Findings
Conclusion Three
Communicators of Discipline &
Trusting in the Will of God
All of the administrators in the study were able to meet the
expectations of key stakeholders in their school districts because
they were articulate, strong disciplinarians who could, “handle the
situation”. All administrators were trusting in the will of God to lead
them through many challenges, including the opportunity to move
into administration.

36. Implications
Many factors influence the career trajectories of rural African
American administrators. Their determination to do well is
developed early in life due to support and validation. Feelings
normally associated with isolation are minimized by the
development of viable rural connections. Enduring rural
challenges is possibly made easier by the extension of willingness
to understand and respect the culture of their schools and
surrounding communities. This willingness has also appeared to
increase their job promotion opportunities. Especially for those
educators who are viewed as strong communicators of
discipline. Finally, trusting in the will of God has given many
African American educators the faith to accept and maintain their
roles as leaders in rural education.

37. Challenge
African American educators desiring a rural administrative
position must be prepared for “DIRECT” contact with all
stakeholders.

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Recommendations
for Further Study
1. Duplication of the study in other geographical areas
of the country.
2. Case studies of certified rural African Americans who
aspired to become leaders and were not promoted to
leadership positions.
3. A case study of a rural African American
superintendent.

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Recommendations
For Further Study
4. A study about the process utilized by rural African
American administrators to establish effective mentor
relationships and develop political networks.
5. A study examining the leadership behaviors and
beliefs of rural African American administrators over
an extended period of time.
6. A study comparing the experiences and
characteristics influencing the career trajectories of
rural African American administrators with those of
another ethnic group of administrators.

40. REFERENCES
Bates, G. D. (2007). An analysis of African Americans in the public school
superintendency: a dissertation. Prairie View, TX: Prairie View A&M
University.
Benson, D. M. (2006). Small Missouri public school female superintendent
career stories: An exploration of guiding compasses. ProQuest
information and Learning Company, (UMI No. 3242057).
Bush, T., Flover, D., Sood, K., Cardno, C, Kholeka, M., Potgeiter, G., and
Tangie, K. (2005). Black and minority ethnic leaders. Final report to the
national college for school leadership. Retrieved March 8, 2008, from
http://www.ncsl.org.uk/media/28E/88/black-and-minority-ethnic-leaders
Crenshaw, S. T. (2004). African American female school principals’ leadership
stories: Toward a substantive grounded theory inquiry. ProQuest
information and Learning Company, (UMI No. 3139665).
Collins, T. (1999). Attracting and retaining teachers in rural areas. Eric.
Retrieved February 16, 2007, from ERIC http://eric.ed.gov

41. REFERENCES
Delgado, R. and J. Stefanic. (Ed.). (2000). Critical race theory: The cutting
edge. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Delpit, L.D. (1988). The silenced dialogue: Power and pedagogy in educating
other people’s children. http://rpp.english.ucsb.edu/research/race-class-
and-pedagogy/delpit-lisa Harvard Educational Review. Retrieved
September 19, 2007, from
Echols, C. (2007). Challenges facing black American principals: A
conversation about coping. National Council of Professors of Educational
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Fraenkel J. R. & Wallen, N. E., (2006). How to design and evaluate research in
education. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies.

42. REFERENCES
Kerka, S. (1998). Career development and gender, race, and class. ERIC
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Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
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dissertation. Prairie View, TX: Prairie View A&M University.
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43. REFERENCES
Texas Education Agency (2007). Retrieved November 11, 2007, from Texas
Education Agency Website: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
Townsell, R. & Kritsonis, W. A. (2006). National insight: A look at synnoetics in
one African American female’s journey to the principalship. Doctoral
Forum: National Journal for Publishing and Mentoring Doctoral Students,
3(1), 1-10 Retrieved July 3, 2007, from http://www.nationalforum.c
Turner, C. T. (2004). Voices of four African American and European American
female principals and their leadership styles in a recognized urban school
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44. 44
“I’m wide awake and full of fun, scared to death, but I won’t run!”
Grandpa Ethridge Townsell 1890-1985
Thank You!
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on
your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and
He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).