The Learning Policy Institute (LPI) report Developing Effective Principals: What Kind of Learning Matters? adds to an extensive body of research indicating that high-quality principal preparation and professional development programs lead to positive school, principal, teacher, and student outcomes. Based on a review of peer-reviewed research and survey data, the Read more
School administrators serve as instructional leaders and set the tone for the culture of a school, play an important role in hiring and retaining teachers, and impact student outcomes from attendance to achievement. The principal’s influence is pivotal. In this month’s issue brief, Core Education explores effective school leadership and Read more
Over the past two decades, the policy landscape and the research landscape of school leadership have experienced major shifts. High-stakes accountability, multiple-measure teacher evaluation systems, heightened policy attention to educational equity, and other changes have altered expectations for what leaders need to know, how they spend their time, and the Read more
How have principals experienced changes in schooling over the last two years? To answer this question, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) launched Leaders We Need Now, a series of research reports on how the unprecedented crises and turmoil in 2020–21 have affected the work of principals and Read more
Principals can improve their teachers’ classroom practice, either directly or indirectly by arranging resources, to support improvement. However, there is limited information about how principals spend their time. A snapshot from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) provides insights on workday time allocations for principals in 100 schools. Key findings Read more
Among all in-school factors that impact student learning, teachers carry the most weight — but school leaders are not far behind. Decades of research have proven the positive influence principals can have on student achievement, school climate and teaching quality. New evidence suggests that their impact may be even greater Read more
Rand has released a new report on The Wallace Foundation’s Principal Pipeline Initiative (PPI). Students performed up to 6 points above the median percentile on state tests in schools that implemented the program, which is aimed at improving school leaders. Research across the decades has confirmed that effective school leadership Read more
Principals and districts benefit when principal supervisors move beyond the role of administrator to coach and mentor, according to a new Vanderbilt University report. The report, “A New Role Emerges for Principal Supervisors: Evidence from Six Districts in the Principal Supervisor Initiative,” details the implementation of five key components to Read more
Social-emotional learning, mental health, and student poverty are among the top student-related concerns of Pre-K through grade 8 principals, according to The Pre-K School Leader in 2018: A 10-Year Study. Since 1928, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) has collected data on the climate, challenges, and conditions Read more
School administrators serve as instructional leaders and set the tone for the culture of a school. The principal’s influence is pivotal. In Core Education’s May issue brief, we explore effective school leadership and recommendations for policy to improve the preparation, support, and evaluation of educational leaders. In addition, we review Read more
In her newest policy paper and accompanying data visualization, Roxanne Garza explores how support systems for principals vary across the country. Over the last decade, the term instructional leader has worked its way into the vernacular of the education community to describe the role of school principals. What people actually Read more
Of all in-school influences on student learning, leadership is second only to teaching quality. Indeed, when it comes to whole-system improvement, some argue that improving the quality of school leadership is a higher strategic priority than improving the quality of individual teachers, due to a principal’s influence across a school. Read more
School administrators serve as instructional leaders and set the tone for the culture of a school. The principal’s influence is pivotal. In the March issue brief, Core Education explores effective school leadership and recommendations for policy to improve the training, support, and evaluation of educational leaders. To view the Read more
AIR’s Cortney Rowland has written a new report examining the opportunities provided by ESSA for states to focus on principal professional development. Again and again, states and districts have focused on teachers rather than principals when making policy and allotting funds and resources for professional development and support. Principals’ groups Read more
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center released PSEL 2015 and Promoting Principal Leadership for the Success of Students with Disabilities, which outlines key steps every state can take to ensure all school principals are prepared to Read more
The Carnegie Foundation has collaborated with colleagues in the University of Michigan’s School of Education and Ross School of Business to develop a massive open online course that moves aspiring and practicing educational leaders to improve learning outcomes for all students. In this course, Leading Ambitious Teaching and Learning, the Read more