Why Principals Matter: Exploring The Research On School Leadership. School Leadership Brief_18P429_digital_FINAL | Page 13

4.
High-Quality Principal
Preparation Programs Use
Research-Based Strategies
For Candidate Selection And
Program Design To Ensure
Candidates Are Ready To
Make Meaningful
Improvements In Student
Achievement.
High-quality principal preparation
programs have rigorous selection
processes to identify promising
principal candidates.
There is anecdotal evidence that some
principal preparation programs take
in nearly all candidates who apply.
Additionally, only about 20 to 30 percent
of graduates from traditional principal
preparation programs go on to serve as
principals. 26 Some teachers decide to
enroll in principal preparation programs
to get a pay increase since many districts
give teachers with advanced degrees
higher salaries. This practice has resulted
in an increase in easy-to-complete
preparation programs that do not
appropriately prepare candidates for
leadership roles. 27
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