ED 477 186 AUTHOR TITLE INSTITUTION REPORT NO PUB DATE NOTE AVAILABLE FROM PUB TYPE EDRS PRICE DESCRIPTORS IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT DOCUMENT RESUME EA 032 515 Belfield, Clive R.; Wooten, Amy L. Education Privatization: The Attitudes and Experiences of Superintendents. Occasional Paper. Columbia Univ., New York, NY. National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education. OP-70 2003-01-00. 15p. Teachers College, Columbia University, Box 181, 230 Thompson Hall, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027-6696. Tel: 212-678-3259; Fax: 212-678-3474; e-mail: ncspe@columbia.edu; Web site: http://www.ncspe.org. Reports Research (143) EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. *Administrative Organization; Attitudes; *Educational Administration; Educational Assessment; Elementary Secondary Education; *Governance; National Surveys; *Privatization; School Business Relationship; *Superintendents Private Enterprise This paper reports the findings from an Internet survey of 2,318 school superintendents across the U.S. The superintendents were asked about their experiences with, views of, and attitudes toward privatization of education services. The results of the survey suggested four conclusions. First, private contracts for a range of educational services are widespread. Second, such contracting has a clear line of demarcation when contracting with an educational management organization for instructional services. Such contracts are infrequent, are anticipated to provide considerable opposition from almost all constituents, and even when undertaken are not regarded with much enthusiasm. Third, school superintendents appear divided as to the merits of contracting for private services; about half would definitely not consider it as an option, but an equal number are open to the possibility of privatization of instructional services. Fourth, although there is general acceptance of the importance of federal initiatives to improve the quality of education, enhancing the competence of the teaching profession clearly supercedes policies that encourage test-score accountability and parental involvement. The survey shows that a superintendent's position and circumstances, along with the characteristics of her district, can exercise considerable influence on a superintendent's opinion of privatization. .(RJM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.