Principal Labor Market and the Distribution of Principals Among Public Schools

• In Event: Park Central Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Complexities of Managing Human Capital in School Districts

Abstract

Given the importance of effective and stable leadership, an understanding of how principals are distributed among schools serving different students and the underlying causes of any uneven distribution is useful for designing policies that address these inequalities. This study uses twelve years of longitudinal data in Utah to examine the patterns of individuals entering, transferring, and exiting the principalship and their impact on the distribution of principals across schools. Our results indicate that the uneven distribution of principals are largely caused by higher attrition rates in low-income and low-achieving schools. If not carefully planned, rapid principal turnover in these schools might prevent any meaningful and sustainable changes for school improvement, even if the successive principals are more effective.

Authors

• Yongmei Ni, University of Utah

• Rui Yan, University of Utah