For the purposes of this study, which examines the upward mobility of educational administrators, "upward mobility" is defined as a function of a combination of professional attractiveness and inside sponsorship operating in a paternalistic environment. The study tested four hypotheses within paternalistic school environments: (1) candidates with more professional attractiveness achieve faster; (2) candidates with more influential sponsorship achieve faster; (3) candidates with more professional attractiveness are more likely to have inside sponsorship; and (4) upward mobility is increased by professional attractiveness and inside sponsorship. The study sample included 252 administrators nationwide. Data were collected through use of the Questionnaire for Career Development of Educational Administrators. The study found that certain professional attractiveness variables had a positive relationship to rate of upward mobility, as did inside sponsorship and paternalism. Further research is recommended on the variables of inside sponsorship and paternalism, and on the variables of competence, leadership ability, successful past experience, personality, and luck. (MD)