Urban school superintendents hold one of the most important and challenging jobs in America's education system. In this era of accountability and standards, superintendents are charged with making visible and rapid improvements in the academic achievement of the nation's most vulnerable children. They must break down barriers to reform and build capacity for quality teaching and learning in their schools. They must unite parents, educators, school boards, and community leaders behind a clear and coherent vision of instructional purpose. Amidst the highly politicized environments of big city school districts, superintendents must serve as mediators, statesmen, and agents of change. Given this backdrop, the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) prepared this report to improve public understanding of employment patterns and demographic trends among the nation's urban superintendents. The organization has been surveying its member districts approximately every two years since 1997. This, the Council's sixth report on urban superintendents, presents the results of the Council's 2008 survey. Surveys were received from 53 of the 66 CGCS member districts (over 80% percent), and all responses were included in this analysis. All data presented in this publication are reported in summary form. (Contains 12 figures and 3 footnotes.)