Developing Effective Principals

This report reviews the research literature from 2000 to 2021 on principal preparation programs and professional development. It finds that high-quality learning programs for future and current principals are associated with positive outcomes for principals, teachers, and students. These outcomes include:  

• Principals reporting increased preparedness and more effective practices
• Staff perceptions of school climate
• Teacher retention
• Student achievement.

The report examines how much opportunity principals have for high-quality learning. It also examines the policies that drive the development of high-quality programs and access to them.

High-quality principal preparation has common elements: 

• Rigorous recruitment of candidates into the program
• Close school district-university partnerships
• Groupings of enrollees into cohorts
• Experiences where candidates apply what they learn, guided by experienced mentors or coaches
• A focus on important content. The five most important areas are leading instruction, managing change, developing people, shaping a positive school culture, and meeting the needs of diverse learners. Even a single course about meeting the needs of diverse learners can be linked to the development of principals’ skills in this area.

Improvements but Continued Gaps

Access to preservice and in-service learning covering important content has improved over the last decade. More than two-thirds of principals today report having had at least minimal access to learning across the five key content areas. 

At the same time, there are clearly gaps. Most principals still wanted more professional development on nearly all topics. Lack of time and insufficient money were obstacles to further learning. And few principals reported having access to job-based learning opportunities that research finds are important to their development.  

• Less than half of principals who had internships during their preparation reported being allowed to take on responsibilities typical of an educational leader. 
• Very few in-service principals reported having access to coaching or mentoring. 

Access to high-quality professional development for principals also varies by school poverty level. This is true both nationally and within states. Across the country, principals serving high-poverty schools were less likely to report high-quality learning opportunities than principals in schools serving fewer low-income students. For example, principals serving high-poverty schools were less than half as likely to have an on-the-job mentor or coach as principals serving low-poverty schools. 

The Role of Policy

Policies that support high-quality principal learning programs can make a difference. More state and local policymakers have adopted standards for principal licensing and program accreditation. These can be important levers for improvement. Access to high-quality principal learning increases when public policies are strong and well-implemented. 

The authors make policy recommendations based on their research synthesis. These recommendations include:

• Better use of state licensing and program approval standards to support high-quality principal preparation and development
• Investments in statewide systems for principal professional learning 
• Greater public investment in professional learning for principals in high-poverty schools
• State support for districts to create comprehensive systems for developing effective principals.