What the Research Says

Stanford University School Leadership Study

Principals play a vital role in setting the direction for successful schools, but existing knowledge on the best ways to prepare and develop highly-qualified principals is sparse. Learn more about this ongoing study aimed at filling in the gaps and determining what works. Also see their study overview "Developing Successful Principals." (PDF)

Preparing School Principals: A National Perspective on Policy and Program Innovations (PDF)

There is widespread and bipartisan acceptance of the need for America’s schools to improve. At the same time, implementing the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is forcing us to confront the weaknesses of contemporary school leadership and is making it impossible to ignore the escalating need for higher quality principals — individuals who have been prepared to provide the instructional leadership necessary to improve student achievement. (Institute for Educational Leadership, 2003)

Take This Job and Fill It -- Association of California School Administrators and the California Association of Professors of Educational Administration survey on school prinicpals - Statistical Data Included

Former Colorado governor and Los Angeles Unified School Superintendent Roy Romer discovered this his first month or so on the job. He expressed concern that L.A. Unified, the second largest school district in the United States, was about to open the 2000-2001 school with 40 unfilled principal positions.

Public School Principals Report on Their School Facilities: Fall 2005. Statistical Analysis Report (PDF)

The extent to which school buildings support education has been an important topic for policymakers. One issue is the physical condition of the buildings, particularly as they age. Another is the ability of the buildings to accommodate shifts in the nation's population. (National Center for Education Statistics, 2007)

Community & Family Engagement. Principals Share What Works (PDF)

This paper explores ways principals of community schools--and other principals who, though they may not yet identify their schools as community schools, are responding in a very similar manner--are working successfully with community partners, families, and other key stakeholders to improve student outcomes. (Coalition for Community Schools, 2006)

The Insiders: How Principals and Superintendents See Public Education Today. Reality Check 2006. Issue No. 4 (PDF)

This is the fourth in a series of reports from Reality Check 2006, an ongoing set of tracking surveys on education issues. Reality Check regularly surveys attitudes among public school parents, students, teachers, principals, and superintendents. (Public Agenda, 2006)

Challenges in Data-Based Decision-Making: Voices from Principals (PDF)

Principals in the infor mation age need to be information-driven, committed to shared leadership, and relentless about continuous improvement. They must reshape the processes, norms, and behaviors of teaching and learning around aggregating and interpreting shared information. In this article, the authors discuss the role of a principal in shaping the focus of a school and employing data-based decision-making strategies. (Education Horizons, 2006)

Is Your School Fit for Literacy? 10 Areas of Action for Principals (PDF)

The goal of this document is to provide a scheme that may be used by principals, literacy leaders, and school teams to take stock of the literacy health of their school. The assessment may show that the school is fit on most factors, or that a boost is needed in several areas. (Learning Point Associates / North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL, 2005)