Leadership Research

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School & District Management The Central Office Is a Mystery. A Researcher Broke the Code
Central office staff are largely directly focused on keeping things running rather than instruction, according to new research.
Denisa R. Superville, March 31, 2023
4 min read
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School & District Management Better Principal Data Is Critical to Close Equity Gaps, Groups Tell Feds
Advocates argue that the data will help state policy makers, preparation programs, and advocates make better decisions.
Denisa R. Superville, March 30, 2023
5 min read
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School & District Management Q&A There's a Good Chance Your Superintendent Has One of These 15 Names
A researcher's findings highlight just how white and male the American superintendency is.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 24, 2023
5 min read
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School & District Management By the Numbers: How Men Are Favored for the Superintendent's Job
Women make up the majority of the education workforce, but are scarce among superintendents.
Denisa R. Superville & Laura Baker, December 14, 2022
1 min read
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School & District Management What the Research Says Principals Matter for Preschools, But Studies Show They Lack Training
New research suggests principals need to learn more about the preschool classes in their buildings.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 7, 2022
3 min read
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Equity & Diversity How Carefully Tailored PD Can Help Principals Become Equity Leaders
A partnership involving several districts suggests smart professional development can help principals improve equitable practices.
Denisa R. Superville, September 22, 2022
5 min read
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Principals said using student test scores as a metric in evaluating their effectiveness as a leader isn’t a bad idea, but other factors should also be considered.
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School & District Management Is Judging Principals by Test Scores a Mistake?
A study examined whether existing methods for evaluating the impact of principal leadership on student test scores are accurate.
Lauraine Langreo, August 23, 2022
5 min read
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Recruitment & Retention Why Understanding Principal Turnover Is Important for Teacher Retention
A new study on principals in Texas argues that longer principal tenure can have positive effects on teacher retention.
Denisa R. Superville, June 15, 2022
5 min read
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School & District Management What Happens When Districts, States, and Universities Collaborate on Principal-Prep?
A new report says broad partnerships can improve the learning experience for school leaders.
Denisa R. Superville, June 11, 2022
6 min read
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School & District Management For Principals, Prep and PD Fall Short, New Report Finds
Training programs for principals are slowly, but unevenly, adapting to the research on how principals affect students and teachers.
Denisa R. Superville, June 2, 2022
6 min read
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Recruitment & Retention Why Aren't There More Women Superintendents?
As turnover rises, researchers say slow progress towards gender parity in the top job is at risk.
Stephen Sawchuk, March 10, 2022
10 min read
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School & District Management Superintendent Turnover Is a Real Thing. How Bad Is It?
Researchers are patching together disparate data to conclude that, at least in urban districts, turnover has indeed increased.
Stephen Sawchuk, February 28, 2022
6 min read
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School & District Management New Survey: How the Pandemic Has Made School Leadership More Stressful
Secondary school principals have reported frequent job-related stress, especially concerns about staff and student well-being.
Denisa R. Superville, January 26, 2022
6 min read
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School & District Management The Pandemic Upended Principals' Jobs. Do Professional Leader Standards Reflect the Shift?
Principals felt unprepared for the time they had to spend on crisis-management and social media communications this school year.
Denisa R. Superville, December 27, 2021
6 min read