In this symposium we report findings on superintendent from empirical investigation of superintendents. We particularly attempted to identify ways in which the superintendent institutions, their professional work and competence development, work challenges and communities of practice can be understood, analyzed and described in a comparative discourse in national surveys. 

The cross-national nature of the symposium will provided useful setting for examining the role and the term school superintendents also in a Global setting.  The empirical data from our studies will permit us to look across these national settings for common themes as well as highlighting important professional, social, and developmental experiences in a four country settings.