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.
By increasing the capacity and stability of leaders and teachers, low-performing schools may improve student performance and increase graduation rates. This video explores a leadership coaching program that has produced considerable improvements at an Illinois high school.
Many literacy interventions have emerged to help children around the world learn to read outside of school. Elizabeth Spier, an AIR principal researcher, talks about what evidence exists about how effective complementary outside school reading activities are at actually improving overall literacy outcomes. ...
In recent years, states and school districts in the Midwest Region have developed new evaluation models that hold principals accountable for their contributions to student achievement. This study examines whether teacher and student feedback surveys to evaluate principals based on school conditions promote better teaching and learning. ...
Despite clear research showing the impact that principals can have, more rigorous research and information to guide schools and districts is needed. The George W. Bush Institute partnered with AIR to develop a practitioner's guide that provides districts and policymakers guidance on policies for attracting, supporting, and retaining effective principals—and ...
Despite its potential to inform district decision-making, high-quality data about principal preparation, experience, and assignment are rarely available within districts. This brief describes the importance of improving the accuracy and availability of these data to explore questions about how to find, support, and keep the best leaders. ...
Principal observation tools are used to accurately evaluate principal performance by helping principal supervisors and coaches improve instructional leadership. This piece describes how using the right tools is helping principals in the U.S. Virgin Islands develop such evidence-based coaching and performance evaluations. ...