What does the latest research say about principals? 

This research brief from the RAND Corporation presents a summary of research on first-year principals' experiences, actions, working conditions, and outcomes. It was created to inform efforts to promote school improvement and principal retention. To complete their study, RAND researchers looked at the experiences of first-year principals in six districts across the U.S. Findings included: 

• More than a fifth of first-year principals left their school within two years;
• Schools that lost a principal after one year underperformed the following year;
• The quality of principals' actions was more relevant to outcomes than the amount of time devoted to the actions;
• Greater teacher capacity and cohesiveness were related to better student outcomes; and
• Principals' skills as human capital managers are important.