Special Interest Group Influence in School Districts: Exploring the Impact of Locale.

This article explores the research question: How does the nature of interest group influence on school superintendents vary across school district locale/? Utilizing a survey of Wisconsin superintendents, the author tests several hypotheses related to the relationship between school district locale and superintendent perceptions of interest group influence. The results show that Rural/Town superintendents experience more overall interest group pressure, that less formal parent organizations are generally the most dominant interest groups in school districts, and that there are links between interest group pressures and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]