Research Brief Examines University-District Partnership Program to Increase Quality, Preparation and Retention of School Principals
The consequences of principal turnover are many. The school principal is a critical factor in student achievement, but increasing demands on school leaders have fueled a leadership deficit.
The quality of school principals is central to school success, yet high quality candidates are becoming harder to recruit and retain. Nationwide, 30 percent of principals in improvised communities leave the position within one year. This turnover has destabilized the principal supply and compromised institutional knowledge.
Research suggests a four-point framework for principals’ preparation and retention that includes a set of effective leadership practices; higher recruitment standards; coursework aligned with field-based experiential learning; and meaningful coaching support for new principals.
“Principal Preparation for Diverse Communities,” the latest research brief from the Center for Schools and Communities examines the Learning to Lead program, developed by the Shippensburg University Educational Leadership Program faculty to enhance principal quality and mitigate the challenge of principal turnover in local high-poverty districts while adhering to the four framework elements.
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