The principal holds a pivotal role within a school community. Approximately 15%-22% of principals in their first 5 years resign from their positions (Fuller et al., 2018; Goldrink & Taie, 2018). High principal attrition rates decrease student achievement, the quality of learning, and staff morale and retention (Fuller, 2012; Louis et al.,…

Opportunity gaps for certain student groups are well documented across the United States as well as in the Mid-Atlantic state where this research occurred. According to Miksic (2014), "American public education aspires to provide rich and poor, Black and White, immigrant and native-born, with equal opportunities for success" (para. 1).…

The American Rescue Plan Act has made funds available to states and districts to speed up recovery from the effects of COVID-19, including addressing learning loss. The Wallace Foundation has distilled evidence from its work that may be helpful in informing choices about how to spend those funds, as well as how to implement key strategies.…

The purpose of this study was to understand the instructional leadership role development of new principals. The overarching research question that guided this study was: How do new principals transition into an instructional leadership role? Using a basic qualitative approach, 12 new principals participated in the study. Data collection included…

Principals shape the academic setting of schools. Yet, there is limited evidence on whether principal professional development improves schooling outcomes. Beginning in 2008-09, Pennsylvania's Inspired Leadership (PIL) induction program required that newly hired principals complete targeted in-service professional development tied to newly…

In the era of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), there has been heightened attention on the role that effective school and district leaders play in a wide range of issues, including school improvement, quality classroom instruction and broader discussions of equity. In 2017, Education Commission of the States reviewed legislation related to…

Although the assistant principal position has been the career path for aspiring principals, some researchers have claimed the position lacks adequacy as a training position. With limited research available, the purpose of this study was to explore the induction and acclimation experiences of newly assigned assistant principals. Following a…

Principals have a substantial effect on the quality of learning in their schools. Likewise, districts have a substantial effect on the quality of their leaders. A growing number of large school districts are focusing on two objectives to strengthen school leadership: (1) building a pipeline of new principals who are ready to tackle the most…

This research study intended to discover the perceptions of 10 Illinois Generation Y novice high school principals pertaining to the effectiveness of their principal preparation programs in terms of how well it prepared them to lead in the first three years of their principalship, and what subsequent professional development they deemed necessary…

Leadership expectations for school principals have dramatically changed since the 1983 report to Congress, "A Nation at Risk", inspired a renewed focus on the persistent educational underachievement of minority students in the United States. Today, school leaders must get out from behind the desk and actively empower an increasingly…

This book describes a professional development model for new and experienced principals -- a collaborative leadership inquiry seminar. The authors combine existing models of structured professional conversations about education into an on-going leadership development experience that will work in large, urban school districts. They examine how to…

Greater attention is now being directed at issues associated with the professional development of new school leaders. This paper identifies some of the major concerns of beginning school leaders across different nations, some of which include needs for knowledge about basic managerial skills, adequate socialization to the job, and a sense of self.…

Findings of the first phase of a longitudinal study that developed a descriptive profile of new principals in New York City are presented in this paper. A survey of 216 newly appointed principals in New York City elicited 158 responses, a 73 percent response rate. Findings indicate that despite the emphasis on aspects of transformational…

To ensure that first-time educators in any of Ohio's 615 school systems have access to a supportive environment that would make their professional success more likely, in 1987 the state's Department of Education enacted a policy requiring all school districts to plan and implement programs that provide support to newly employed educators. Because…

This publication discusses effective leadership by presenting descriptions of practices for educational leaders. It focuses on six standards, known as the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (CPSEL). The California standards, generated from national standards, have been updated and refined to reflect the continuing shift…