Who Leads Turnaround Schools? Characteristics of Principals in Tennessee's Achievement School District and Innovation Zones

• In Event: School Improvement and Turnaround

Abstract

Hiring effective teachers and retaining effective principals have been shown to mediate the effects of school reform. The current study examines the characteristics of principals who led turnaround schools in Tennessee—including schools in the state-run Achievement School District (ASD) and schools in district-led Innovation Zones (iZones). To compare principal characteristics within the ASD, iZones, and a group of comparison schools, we descriptively analyze statewide administrative data from the Tennessee Department of Education for each year from 2006-07 to 2017-18. The results show it is possible for local education agencies to recruit and retain experienced and highly credentialed administrators to lead school improvement while maintaining racial congruence between the principal and the majority of the student enrollment.

Authors

• LaTanya Dixon, Vanderbilt University

• Lam D Pham, North Carolina State University

• Gary Henry, University of Delaware