Principal Effectiveness and School Performance
A recent report by the Learning Policy Institute examines several studies on principal effectiveness and school performance, highlighting the need to train, prepare, and retain school principals.
The report summarizes existing research and explains the importance of investing in and leveraging school leadership for mitigating the challenges currently facing schools. Authors describe how principals improve education outcomes, the importance of supporting and retaining principals, and policy implications.
Key takeaways include:
- Principals are the single most influential factor shaping student learning, teacher retention, and school climate.
- Principal turnover is associated with declines in achievement and higher teacher turnover, with the heaviest impacts falling on high-poverty schools.
- Because they influence all issues facing public schools, preparing and supporting principals to be well equipped to handle them is one of the best investments policymakers can make.
Read the full report The Principal Effect: How Investing in School Leaders Is Key to Solving Education’s Challenges on the Leaning Policy Institute website.
An interview with the lead author of the report and chief knowledge officer of the Learning Policy Institute is available in the Edweek article Why Principals are Key to Solving Schools Biggest Problems.
Sarah James
Sarah James joined HR Services in 2019. Prior to that, she worked at a Central Texas school district for 11 years. She is responsible for managing web content, HR Services articles, HRX newsletter, social media accounts, and marketing efforts.
James has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Concordia University Texas in Austin.
Email Sarah if you have a story idea for the HRX.
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