Principal Preparation Programs and Principal Outcomes

• In Event: 34.022 - Leadership Preparation: Systems and Policy

Abstract

Despite concerns about variation in the quality of pre-service preparation provided by university-based principal preparation programs (PPPs), little research has assessed how outcomes for PPP graduates in fact vary systematically by program. Using data from the state of Tennessee, we link approximately a decade’s worth of PPP graduates to their schools and multiple outcome measures. We find that Tennessee PPPs vary substantially in the characteristics of the schools into which their principals are hired, and that taking these characteristics into account is important. Although we are able to associate PPPs with high performance, we find that programs’ rankings vary by outcome measure. Our results have implications for how states use principal outcomes for accountability and evaluation of principal preparation programs.

Authors

• Jason A. Grissom, Vanderbilt University

• Hajime Mitani, Rowan University

• David S Woo, Vanderbilt University - Peabody College