School & District Management Report Roundup

Becoming Principal: Whose Route Is Shortest?

By Sarah D. Sparks — March 07, 2017 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Men and women teachers take different paths to become school leaders, according to a new study in the American Educational Research Journal.

Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and Columbia University tracked the careers of more than 11,000 teachers in a large, diverse area over 17 academic years. They found that, on average, teachers who made the jump to the principalship did so after five to seven years of teaching. The amount of time teachers had spent in the district did not seem to be a big factor in whether they became principals; on average, teachers who got their principal certification had been with their district six years, and those who actually became principals had been in their district seven years. A little more than half of teachers who got administrative certification were still not principals after 16 years

Becoming Principal: Whose Route Is Shortest?

BRIC ARCHIVE

BRIC ARCHIVE

But after accounting for differences in teachers’ background and professional experience, the study found teachers of different gender or racial groups had different paths. White male teachers were more likely than women and those of racial minorities to become principals, and they did so earlier in their careers. White teachers with administrative certification were more than 1½ times as likely to become principals as black or Latino teachers with the same certification. Black and Latino male teachers, however, were more likely than women teachers of any race to become principals.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the March 08, 2017 edition of Education Week as Becoming Principal: Whose Route Is Shortest?

Events

Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata
Classroom Technology K-12 Essentials Forum Tech Is Everywhere. But Is It Making Schools Better?
Join us for a lively discussion about the ways that technology is being used to improve schools and how it is falling short.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Opinion When It Comes to Leadership, Self-Awareness Matters. Here's Why
One leader learned she had a habit of shutting down others' ideas instead of inspiring them. Here's how she changed.
Robin Shrum
6 min read
Picture1 6.19.32 AM
Robin Shrum
School & District Management Opinion Don’t Bewail Summer Vacation for Students, Rethink It
Students experience summer vacation differently, depending on family resources. We should rethink the tradition with that in mind.
2 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School & District Management Women in K-12 Leadership Don't Get Enough Support. Here's What Needs to Change
Fairer family-leave policies, pay transparency, better data collection, and more on-the-job support are elements of the plan.
7 min read
Illustration showing diversity with multi-colored human figures.
ajijchan/iStock/Getty
School & District Management School Counselors Face 'Role Ambiguity.' This State Tried to Clarify Matters
New York's new regulations didn't always change how principals viewed or interacted with school counselors, research finds.
5 min read
Man trapped in maze.
Man trapped in maze.
iStock/Getty Images Plus