This guide draws from research in three areas:

▪ Forecasting principal vacancies

▪ Identifying assistant principals for the principalship 

▪ Putting in place professional learning to prepare these assistant principals for the principalship. 

It also based on input from officials in a diverse set of school districts. Leaders responsible for principal pipelines in school districts that vary by size (small, medium, and large); locale (urban, rural, and suburban); and demographics participated in an affinity group to inform the guide’s design and content and then in a systematic review of a full draft. The affinity group provided the opportunity for district leaders to discuss promising practices, challenges, and solutions to strengthening the principal pipeline through the identification and preparation of assistant principals. A detailed interview protocol enabled the district leaders to share feedback on guide content and implementation strategies, with particular attention to the publication’s clarity and usability. 

The guide was produced by Policy Studies Associates, a research firm that conducted much of research for a major Wallace initiative to help school districts develop principal pipelines that could produce school leaders with the skills to advance student achievement. A study by the RAND Corporation found that the "comprehensive, aligned" pipelines built in that effort, the Principal Pipeline Initiative, led to principals who could move the needle on student achievement.