Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the ongoing, iterative and empirical work to develop, test and revise the Community Equity Literacy Leadership Assessment (CELLA) for principals through several studies: a sorting study and expert panel survey review. Design/methodology/approach: This study employs several survey development methods, including a sorting study and expert panel survey review. Findings: The findings suggest that each study improved the CELLA's items and provided useful learning for future testing cycles of inquiry. Originality/value: Research suggests that principal leadership is a significant aspect of equitable and authentic school--family--community engagement. However, there is a paucity of theoretically grounded and psychometrically sound instruments to assess principals' knowledge and skills in this area. To address this gap, the authors developed the CELLA for school leaders and their leadership teams.