1. Principal Pipelines: A Major Strategy to Improve Student Achievement Districtwide
April 8, 2019

2. Districts in the Principal Pipeline Initiative

3. Our research partners in the Principal Pipeline initiative

4. wallacefoundation.org/principalpipeline
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5. Principals matter for student learning
Principals are “second only to classroom instruction among all school-related factors that contribute to what students learn at school.”
-- How Leadership Influences Student Learning, Kenneth Leithwood, et al, University of Minnesota, University of Toronto, 2004
“Principals are multipliers of effective teaching.”
-- Developing Excellent School Principals to Advance Teaching and Learning: Considerations for State Policy, Paul Manna, The Wallace Foundation, 2015
Let’s recall why principal leadership matters. From more than two decades of research, we know that:
Leadership is second only to classroom instruction among school-based factors affecting student achievement, and are multipliers of effective teaching;
This is now reflected in the 2015 professional standards for education leaders.

6. Principals are critical to improving struggling schools
“…there are virtually no documented instances of troubled schools being turned around without intervention by a powerful leader. Many other factors may contribute to such turnarounds, but leadership is the catalyst.”
-- How Leadership Influences Student Learning, Kenneth Leithwood, et al, University of Minnesota, University of Toronto, 2004

7. Teacher turnover is lower in schools with effective principals
“Teacher turnover is lower in schools led by high-quality principals….
-- School Leadership Interventions Under the Every Student Succeeds Act:
Evidence Review, Rebecca Herman, et al, RAND, 2016
“Principal effectiveness is associated with greater teacher satisfaction and a lower probability that the teacher leaves the school within a year. Moreover, the positive impacts of principal effectiveness on these teacher outcomes are even greater in disadvantaged schools.”
-- Can Good Principals Keep Teachers in Disadvantaged Schools?
Linking Principal Effectiveness to Teacher Satisfaction and Turnover in
Hard-to-Staff Environments, Jason A. Grissom, Teachers College Record, 2011

8. New standards for principals
The Professional Standards for Educational Leaders are an updated set of standards for the job that spell out 10 essentials, including the ability to support rigorous instruction.​​
New standards for principals reflect this new research and a new understanding of the role.
Let’s recall why principal leadership matters. From more than two decades of research, we know that:
Leadership is second only to classroom instruction among school-based factors affecting student achievement, and are multipliers of effective teaching;
This is now reflected in the 2015 professional standards for education leaders.

9. The Principal Pipeline Initiative
What we knew in 2011
What makes for an effective principal
Better ways to train them
What we did not know
How large districts could cultivate a sufficient number of effective principals
If doing so would affect student achievement
The research suggested four components
Leader standards
Pre-service preparation
Selective hiring and placement
Evaluation and support

10. The question
If all these components were put in place in ways that made sense for the local context, along with the appropriate system supports, would it move the needle for children, especially for the least advantaged ones, at the scale of an entire large district?

11. Principal Pipelines: A feasible, affordable, and effective way for districts to improve schools
Susan M. Gates • April 8, 2019 11

12. Pipelines are feasible
It is feasible to implement all components of a principal pipeline at scale in large districts
You heard from Will what the pipelines are. They did it! 12

13. At the start, no district had all four components in place
Status of Pipeline Components by District as of School Year
PPI Component
District A
District B
District C
District D
District E
District F
1. Leader standards
2. Preservice training
3. Selective hiring
4. Evaluation and support
At the start, no district had all four components in place. 14

14. At the end, all districts had all components in place or partially in place
Status of Pipeline Components by District as of School Year
PPI Component
District A
District B
District C
District D
District E
District F
1. Leader standards
2. Preservice training
3. Selective hiring
4. Evaluation and support
At the start, no district had all four components in place. 14

15. Pipelines are affordable
The six districts spent less than ½ percent of their budgets to operate and enhance their pipelines
The cost per student, per year was about $42 15

16. Pipelines are effective
They benefited districts, schools and students 16

17. To look at effectiveness we compared changes in outcomes in pipeline and non-pipeline schools
1,100 pipeline schools that got a new principal during the study time frame
6,300 matched non-pipeline schools in other districts in the state that received new principals the same year
A positive effect means the change in outcomes was more favorable in pipeline schools than comparison schools
Larger growth or smaller declines in achievement 17

18. Schools in pipeline districts with a new principal outperformed comparison schools
This chart summarizes the effects of PPI two years after the placement of a new principal, and three or more years after the placement of a new principal relative to a baseline year of
Effects are measured in percentile points
All are positive and statistically significant.
The 6.2 effect size means that if a PPI and non-PPI school were both at the median of the achievement distribution in reading in the baseline year, three years after the new principals were placed, the treated school would be at the 56th percentile while the non-PPI school would still be at the median. 18

19. These effects on achievement are statistically significant, meaningful, widespread and unusual
We found statistically significant, positive effects on student achievement
For the six districts taken together
In schools serving different grade levels
For the earliest cohorts of pipeline schools, showing benefits kicked in early
For schools in the lowest achievement quartile
We have not found any other comprehensive, districtwide intervention for which there is evidence of positive effects on student achievement of this magnitude
In elementary, middle and high schools in math
In elementary and middle schools in reading 19

20. We also find effects on principal retention
Principal turnover is costly for districts and disruptive for schools
For every 100 new principals, pipeline districts saw nearly 6 fewer losses after two years and nearly 8 fewer losses after three years, compared with other districts in the state staffing similar schools 20

21. A suite of research reports documents methods, limitations and findings in detail
What was implemented and with what effects on student achievement and other key outcomes?
Final Implementation and Effects Report
Five implementation reports
Leader Tracking System report
Costs and other resources
Sustainability report
Other research reports by Policy Studies Associates and RAND 21

22. The entire suite of reports from the study is available at:
wallacefoundation.org/principalpipeline 22

23. Our panelists
Sonja Brookins Santelises, CEO, Baltimore City Public Schools, moderator
Richard Carranza, chancellor, NYC Department of Education
Jeff Eakins, superintendent, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Florida
Monica Goldson, interim CEO, Prince George’s County Public Schools, Maryland
Alvin Wilbanks, CEO and superintendent, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Georgia

25. Leadership an emerging priority for states
Based on responses from 39 states
Sixty-nine percent of these state education agencies are using school leadership as a major strategy to improve the highest-needs schools
“School leadership stands out as an emerging priority for SEAs.”

26. What states are focusing on
80 percent of states on sitting principals
20 percent on preparing principals

27. Principal pipelines are feasible, affordable and effective
New evidence finds principal pipelines are a strategy for districtwide school improvement, particularly for the schools in the lowest quartile of achievement

28. Principal pipelines are eligible for Title I funding
Independent assessment by Abt Associates shows that principal pipelines are eligible for Title I funding under the evidence requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act

29. Implications for the field
The evidence suggests that principal pipelines deserve serious consideration:
Large Districts – can adapt them to their local context and tap Title I funds
Universities – can partner with districts in these efforts
States – can create policies that enable pipelines to be built

30. Questions?

31. The entire suite of reports on principal pipelines is available at…
wallacefoundation.org/principalpipeline