Back to Overview
How Large and Small Districts Develop Their Principals
Table of Contents
Document
- Author(s)
- Anna Shapiro, Heather L. Schwartz, and Samantha E. DiNicola
- Publisher(s)
- RAND Corporation
Page Count
12 pages
Implementation Tips
- In larger districts, district leaders should invest in coaching for assistant principals. More-resource-intensive programs, such as coaching, have been shown to be more effective for developing high-quality school leaders.
- In small districts, district leaders should focus on pre-service training for aspiring principals from all roles.
- Because smaller districts are less likely to have assistant principals, districts should strengthen their own principal pipelines by developing their own programs in collaboration with other small school districts or connecting teachers to state-supported opportunities, which would reduce their reliance on outside hires for new principal roles.
- Given resource constraints, districts should consider targeting more-resource-intensive PD to aspiring or novice principals.
- Districts should also consider peer coaching models in which principals who receive more PD provide coaching and mentorship to other school leaders.
Topics:
