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19 Oct 2016
Report

Following the Leaders: An Analysis of Graduate Effectiveness from Five Principal Preparation Programs

Eva Chiang, Catherine Jaynes, Anne Wicks Humphrey, and Abby Hoak-Morton, George W. Bush Institute
Eric Larsen, Matthew A. Clifford, Mariann Lemke, Dana Chambers, and Andrew Swanlund, AIR

Principals play a critical role in establishing a school’s climate and culture and in selecting and developing teachers, among other roles. Although there may be little disagreement that good principals make a difference, what is less clear is how to systematically prepare good principals.

In partnership with the George W. Bush Institute, AIR looked to connect information about program graduates to student outcomes. Specifically, this study evaluated the impact of five programs on student achievement.

Key Findings

  • Districts and preparation programs lacked high-quality data on principal characteristics and placements.
  • Selected program graduates had generally positive perceptions of program coursework and hands-on experiences, but they have mixed perceptions of district supports and ongoing supports from their programs.
  • We found little consistent evidence that student achievement in schools led by program graduates is better (or worse) than student achievement in similar schools led by graduates of other programs.
  • Significant variation occurred in effectiveness among principals from selected and other programs.

Taken together, these findings suggest that focusing on how to reduce variation in the performance of graduates through training, selection, or other means or how to systematize or better tailor supports may be the keys to success in preparing effective school leaders.

Following the Leaders: An Analysis of Graduate Effectiveness from Five Principal Preparation Programs (PDF)

Related Projects

Project

Evaluating Principal Preparation Programs

Principals are second only to classroom teachers when it comes to impact on student learning. The George W. Bush Institute and AIR collaborated on a two-year study that looks at effective ways to evaluate principal preparation and describe policies to get, support, and keep great principals.

Related Work

19 Oct 2016
Report

Developing Leaders: The Importance—and the Challenges—of Evaluating Principal Preparation Programs

The role of today’s principal is changing, as is the principal workforce. Understanding how to better prepare new leaders for the role of principal is an urgent policy concern. The George W. Bush Institute and AIR have partnered to evaluate the impact of five principal preparation programs in the United States on student outcomes, and this policy paper presents their recommendations.
Topic: 
Education, Principal Preparation and Performance

Further Reading

  • Developing Leaders: The Importance—and the Challenges—of Evaluating Principal Preparation Programs
  • Evaluating Principal Preparation Programs
  • Building and Supporting Great School Principals and Leaders
  • AIR Experts to Discuss Education Research Issues at Association for Education Finance and Policy Annual Conference
  • States Can Drive Change to Make Principals Prepared on Day One
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Contact

photo of Matt Clifford

Matthew A. Clifford

Principal Researcher
Eric Larsen

Eric Larsen

Principal Economic Researcher

Topic

Education
Principal Preparation and Performance

RESEARCH. EVALUATION. APPLICATION. IMPACT.

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