Strong and stable school leadership is critical for success in schools across the nation. The duties of the principal are many and varied. Principals, for example, can oversee instruction, purchase curricular materials and supplies, and provide professional learning and supports for teachers. Carrying out these duties effectively makes a…

New Leaders is dedicated to promoting student achievement by developing outstanding school leaders to serve in urban schools. RAND Corporation researchers conducted a formative and summative external evaluation of the New Leaders program, its theory of action, and its implementation from 2006 through 2013. This document presents technical…

To better understand the views of teachers and school-based administrators on student engagement and motivation, the Education Week Research Center invited users of edweek.org--"Education Week"'s flagship website--to participate in an online survey in April 2014. Surveys were received from 606 respondents, with 504 being deemed qualified…

We use detailed data from New York City to estimate how the characteristics of school principals relate to school performance, as measured by students' standardized exam scores and other outcomes. We find little evidence of any relationship between school performance and principal education and pre-principal work experience, although we do find…

This 1988 survey of the elementary/middle school principalship is the sixth of its kind, with similar studies having been conducted in 1928, 1948, 1958, 1968 and 1978. The surveys provide an account of the factors that affect the status and characteristics of the K-8 principal. An 8-page instrument was mailed in the spring of 1987 to 2,414…

Results of a national survey in which college department chairpersons ranked the competencies they thought necessary for their positions are presented. Chairpersons, regardless of discipline or department or institution size, agree on needed skills that can be the basis of an effective professional development program. (MSE)

The first comprehensive profile of U.S. college presidents confirms the conventional wisdom about their characteristics and background. The study examined their academic preparation, career paths and mobility, minority group distribution, age, marital status, and the proportion of presidents from outside academe. (MSE)

A survey of school district superintendents sought to gather data on a number of characteristics and compare the data with earlier surveys. From a random sample of 2,342 superintendents, stratified by district size, the researchers received 1,339 responses. The variables covered included superintendent age, sex, ethnic group, political…

This study focuses on reasons for the perceived superiority of mission senior high schools in contrast to private and government senior high schools in Liberia, West Africa. Since an effective principal may be equated with an effective school, the study examines background preparation, experience, and professional characteristics of Liberian…

A survey of school district superintendents sought to gather data on a number of characteristics and compare the data to studies conducted in 1971 and 1982. From a random sample of 2,536 superintendents, stratified by district size, usable survey responses were received from 1,724, for a return rate of 68 percent, or 11 percent of all United…

This report presents and analyzes data from the 2004-05 school year related to the characteristics of charter schools in Colorado, including student achievement and school performance. The purpose, methodology and growth of charter schools in the state is discussed, followed by an overview of the background and mandates of the Colorado Charter…