An Examination into the Perceptions and Leadership Actions of Superintendents to Implement Policy to Support Transgender Student

Transgender students have become more visible within school systems and are often the subject of harassment and bullying because of their gender expression. According to Kosciw et al. (2014), 55.2% of LGBT students experienced harassment because of their gender expression (p. xvii). Superintendents of school districts have the leadership power to implement policy that could ensure a safe environment for transgender students, as evidenced in Kennedy (2016). That being stated, an examination was conducted into currently state of the K-12 school system with regard to transgender students. The population for this study comprised all superintendents throughout New York State, excluding those superintendents in New York City.;The purpose of this quantitative study is to examine the perceptions of superintendents regarding the needs of transgender students and how their perceptions impact the implementation of policies for transgender students within the K-12 school systems in New York State. This quantitative design study examined these questions through the conceptual framework of Bolman and Deal's Four Leaderships Frames (Bolman & Deal, 2013) by utilizing a survey to assess the perceptions of superintendents and how their perceptions related to decision-making regarding the implementation of the policies that provide support to transgender students.;The findings in this study indicate that while superintendents believe they understand the needs of transgender students, there is a misunderstanding of the actual characteristics of transgender students. Findings also indicate that less than half of superintendents currently have a policy for transgender students. In addition, superintendents are those who most often initiate discussion regarding the need for a policy for transgender students.