Superintendent Turnover and School Board Member Defeat: A New Perspective and Interpretation

The study investigated popular election results regarding the relationship between the variables of county board member defeat or re‐election and the reappointment or dismissal of county school superintendents, in the state of North Carolina, within a one, two,three or four year time frame. All 100 county school districts were studied over a 12‐year period of time in which an ex post factoquasi‐experimental research design was used to determine the relationship between incumbent board member defeat and superintendent turnover following six general elections. Results of the study show there was stability in both superintendent reappointment and incumbent school board member re‐election. These findings do not support previous research regarding the dissatisfaction theory in that previous studies found significant differences between superintendent turnover and incumbent school board member defeat. This study, unlike others, focused on county public superintendent turnover and county board member election results as opposed to city or state superintendent and school board member elections.