Are principals getting the support they need?

Are principals getting the support they need?

A new report from the RAND Corporation finds that school leaders generally receive some form of on-the-job supports, but there should be a greater focus on principals as instructional leaders, and more help for smaller districts.

Data for the study came from a web-based survey administered by RAND to the American School Leader Panel (ASLP) from June through October, 2015. The ASLP is a randomly selected, nationally representative panel of U.S. public school principals of schools serving grades kindergarten through grade 12. A total of 175 ASLP principals completed the survey.
Key findings were as follows: 
  • A large percentage of principals are offered some type of on-the-job supports in their district, and most receive at least some mentoring and/or professional development.
  • School leaders value their supervision and mentoring more when supervision and mentoring places a higher emphasis on principals' roles as instructional leaders (e.g., their capacity to facilitate effective instruction).
  • Principals from larger districts indicated more communication with their supervisor, greater access to formal mentoring, and more opportunities for principal-focused professional development than their peers in smaller districts.
The report concludes that districts could do more to consistently support principals' roles as instructional leaders, particularly considering the value that principals place upon such support. In addition, the authors say that smaller school districts may need more support to mitigate capacity limitations related to central office staffing, budget, and geography that may curb their ability to provide comprehensive support for principals and vice principals.

Johns Hopkins University 

Research in Brief

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Mentors.net was founded in 1995 as a professional development resource for school administrators leading new teacher induction programs. It soon evolved into a destination where both new and student teachers could reflect on their teaching experiences. Now, nearly thirty years later, Mentors.net has taken on a new direction—serving as a platform for beginning teachers, preservice educators, and

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