Principals at Low-Performing Schools: Characteristics of New Hires, Stayers, and Leavers

• In Event: 52.024 - Leadership Practices, Turnaround Schools, and School Reform

Abstract

The premise of the school turnaround effort is that educators in these schools have failed students, and the school leader—the principal—is most responsible for that failure. Yet, almost no research has been conducted on the characteristics of leaders of low-performing schools, the length of tenure of the leaders of such schools, whether the schools show any gains over time with the same leader or after a leader transition, or where the leaders go after leaving the school. The findings of this study will help inform the conversation about the characteristics of leaders in low-performing schools, those taking new positions at low-performing schools, and the associations between certain characteristics of principals in low-performing schools and improved teacher qualifications.

Authors

• Liz Hollingworth, University of Iowa

• Ed Fuller, The Pennsylvania State University