Which Characteristics Do School Boards Value When Hiring School Administrators? Experimental Evidence from American Christian Schools

Purpose: Though school boards play an important role in governing schools, little empirical research examines board governance particularly with respect to administrator hiring decisions. This study aimed to help close this research gap with a stated preferences experiment, focusing on administrator hiring decisions by private Christian school boards. Research Methods: This study uses an experimental identification strategy known as conjoint analysis to examine whether academic achievement, education, and experience impact the likelihood of school administrator hire. We use data from the Flourishing Faith Index (FFI), a survey instrument fielded by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), the largest Protestant school organization in the United States and one of the largest school organizations of any kind worldwide. Findings: We find evidence that board members place a premium on extensive teaching or leadership experience, strong academic achievement and qualifications, and graduation from a postsecondary institution sharing their school's religious tradition. Implications: As school administrators play an important role in leading their schools and school boards exercise oversight in part by hiring school administrators, this study has important implications for board governance, school administrator hiring, and educational leadership, even outside the context of Christian schools.