The Building Blocks of Effective Principal Learning Programs

• In Event: 31.021 - Creating Strong School Leadership: New Conceptions of Principal Preparation and Development

Abstract

Under Title II Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act, many states are opting to invest in school leadership. The goal of this paper is help policymakers, researchers, and principal preparation and development program practitioners understand the evidence base surrounding high-quality principal learning. This paper summarizes the elements of high-quality principal preparation and professional development programs that have been associated with positive school outcomes, ranging from student achievement, to staff and student perceptions of school climate, to principal efficacy and retention.

To identify the elements of high-quality principal development programs supported in the research, we analyzed peer-reviewed research and research by organizations with established review processes, published within the past two decades. Specifically, we reviewed studies that connected components of principal preparation and professional development to improved school outcomes, such as improved student learning, increased principal and teacher effectiveness and retention, and improved perceptions of school climate.

After an extensive review of the literature we found high quality programs that are associated with positive school outcomes generally share a set of common features. These include:

Organizational partnerships that support learning, such as close collaboration between programs and school districts and purposeful and targeted recruitment. High-quality programs partner with school districts in a mutually beneficial blend of research and practice. They also recruit teachers with leadership potential to enter the principalship, ideally from the communities they plan to serve.

Programs structured to support learning, including cohorts of principal candidates and networks of practicing principals. High-quality preparation programs structure learning and courses to be carried out in collaboration among a small group of peers. High-quality in-service learning utilizes professional learning communities where school leaders learn together on the job.

Meaningful and authentic learning opportunities, such as opportunities to engage in problem-based learning and field-based internships and coaching by an expert. High-quality programs use context-specific problems to connect coursework and practice to enrich candidates’ skill development. They also support principals’ development through internships and on-the-job coaching by strong and supportive leaders.

Learning opportunities focused on what matters, including a strong focus on improving schoolwide instruction, attention to creating collegial schools, and using data for change. High-quality programs have curricula focused on instruction and school improvement. Further, they prepare educators to create environments where teachers, staff, and students engage in continual learning and improvement. High-quality programs also train educators to use data and collective inquiry to identify problems and address needs, in collaboration with staff, parents, and community organizations.

To illustrate how these elements work together to develop strong principals, this paper also includes descriptions of four programs that have been found to produce effective principals.

Strong leadership will be necessary to implement new education initiatives related to curriculum, accountability, and social and emotional learning. This research contributes to the literature by consolidating and clearly organizing past findings so that policymakers and the general public can best implement principal learning programs that reflect the evidence base associated with improved school outcomes.

Authors

• Daniel Espinoza, Learning Policy Institute

• Leib Sutcher, Learning Policy Institute

• Anne Podolsky, Learning Policy Institute