Understanding and Addressing Principal Turnover: A Mixed-Methods Study

• In Event: Improving Leader of Color Retention: How Lessons on Principal Turnover Are Influencing New District Practices

Abstract

School principals are essential for providing strong educational opportunities and improved outcomes for students. They do this by enhancing teachers’ practice, motivating school staff, and maintaining a positive school climate. Consequently, sudden or frequent turnover of effective principals can disrupt school progress, often resulting in higher teacher turnover and, ultimately, lower gains in student achievement.

Given the importance of school principals, policymakers are interested in improving principal retention. In collaboration with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), researchers conducted a mixed methods study to explore the causes and consequences of principal turnover nationwide and identify evidence-based strategies to help mitigate excessive principal turnover.

The study relied on four components:

● A comprehensive, systemic, literature review. We identified 35 rigorous studies in which researchers examined principal turnover nationally and within states and districts.
● Focus Groups. We conducted six focus groups with 36 participants, including middle and high school leaders representing suburban, rural, and urban schools from 20 states. Principals served in schools with poverty levels ranging from 4% to 78%.
● US ED’s National Teacher and Principal Survey and the Principal Follow-Up Survey. Nationally representative surveys yielded insights about turnover, compensation, and working conditions, and how certain characteristics vary between types of schools or demographic subgroups.
● NASSP-LPI Principal Survey. The sample included 976 potential survey respondents selected to be representative of the nation in terms of community type, school size, and poverty level. Our response rate was 45%.

Our research suggests that principals’ mobility decisions are influenced by their experiences with professional learning, working conditions, compensation, accountability, and decision-making authority. Notably, many of the challenges and obstacles principals faced in these areas were reported by more principals from high-poverty schools and from schools in urban or rural communities.

Key findings:

▬ Survey and focus group responses reflected national concerns about principal turnover. In the NASSP-LPI survey, 42% of principals indicated that they were considering leaving their position. The percentage of principals planning to move to a different school was higher for those in high-poverty schools and rural communities.
▬ Working conditions and district supports related to working conditions emerged as major concerns. Among principals planning to leave, many reported facing a heavy workload, more than twice the percentage of those planning to stay.
▬ Principals’ compensation and financial obligations were related to their mobility plans. A larger percentage of principals planning to leave their schools than those planning to stay said that they were not fairly compensated for their efforts.
▬ High-stakes accountability systems and evaluation practices can discourage some principals from remaining in their school or position.
▬ A lack of decision-making authority was a concern for some principals. Decision-making authority in most areas was a concern for smaller percentages of principals.
▬ Many principals reported facing obstacles to professional learning opportunities. Among all principals, three-fourths cited lack of time, and a third cited lack of money. Nearly all indicated a desire for additional professional development to meet their students’ needs.

Author

• Stephanie Levin, Learning Policy Institute