The path from assistant principal to principal seems like an obvious one. And yet, new research shows that more than two-thirds of assistant principals never apply for a principal role. The findings underscore an opportunity for school districts to more intentionally identify, prepare, and advance their own leaders. Research also finds that when APs are promoted to principals in their own schools, there is less disruption and turnover.
A 2023 guide published by Policy Studies Associates offers a roadmap to building stronger, more equitable pathways into the principalship. It suggests that with the right support and assistance at the district level, APs are well aligned to fill vacant principal positions. The researchers recommend districts employ the following process:
Forecasting principal vacancies: Before starting the hiring process, the guide suggests districts start by assessing their current practices, anticipating principal vacancies before they happen. This is accomplished by first building an assistant principal advancement team with well-defined, individual roles, who will work in tandem to gather data on factors leading to principal vacancies, build a timeline around expected vacancies, reflect on what current AP preparation practices work or might need improvement, and ultimately construct an informed work plan to improve AP advancement.
Identifying assistant principals: To help find the right APs for the principal role, the guide advises districts to designate at least one point-person in either the central office or HR, engaging APs in active conversations about their career aspirations. Districts can also leverage input from principal supervisors to aid in their talent search. There are a number of crucial factors to consider when selecting the right candidates, including alignment of their career goals, skills, and competencies with the district’s mission, current job performance, cultural responsiveness, and prior experience working for effective principals.
- Preparing APs for the job: If their timeline allows, the researchers recommend districts partner with one or two universities to establish professional development experiences to prepare APs for the principalship. If their timeline doesn’t allow for formal partnerships, the researchers suggest creating training opportunities within the district itself through several means, including mentoring and coaching from experienced principals, structured job shadow experiences, organized collegial learning networks, and targeted training on addressing the needs of diverse learners. The researchers also note districts can poll novice principals, gauging their perspective on strengths and points of improvement regarding training and preparedness.
While this guide is meant to serve any district, the researchers also emphasize that districts with a strong principal pipeline in place will have an easier time instating an AP advancement process. To learn more about building and sustaining a comprehensive principal pipeline, check out Wallace’s Principal Pipeline Toolkit.
