These 4 principal PD strategies are backed by decades of research

What kind of learning matters in developing high-quality principals–the kind of building leaders who will achieve the best outcomes for teachers, students and themselves?

A growing number of studies link a principal’s learning to student growth. A new analysis, scanning decades of research, pinpoints the key elements of the most effective professional development programs to help superintendents and their teams develop a pipeline of high-quality principals.

The most effective programs have common elements: such as rigorous recruitment standards, a cohort structure and close district-university partnerships, according to”Developing Effective Principals: What Kind of Learning Matters?” by the Learning Policy Institute. Among the studies’ findings is that aspiring principals are receiving more training on meeting the needs of diverse learners but still lack authentic, job-based learning opportunities such as internships, coaching and mentoring.

“It’s an especially challenging time to be a principal,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, the study’s principal researcher and president and CEO of the Learning Policy Institute. “However, principals who receive high-quality training feel better equipped to handle the real-world demands of the role and tend to stay in their jobs longer. ”

With an increasing number of high-quality PD programs emerging, here are five concepts districts leaders should prioritize as they support principals in maximizing their skills:

1. High-quality preparation and professional development programs lead to better outcomes for principals, teachers and students: The most effective programs offer authentic learning opportunities that focus on instructional leadership, managing change and staff development and retention. Field-based internships and problem-solving exercises are also important.

2. Focusing on equity-oriented leadership prepares principals to meet the needs of diverse learners: Aspiring principals can examine their own biases around race, class, language and disability through field work and reflective projects. These include cultural autobiographies and cross-cultural interviews, among other activities. These concepts will better prepare principals to meet the needs of diverse learners.

3. Preservice and in-service learning programs have increased. Job-based learning opportunities have not: Principals who’ve been certified over the last 10 years report greater access to PD that covers instructional leadership, managing staff, shaping positive school culture, and meeting the needs of diverse learners. However, only a minority of principals say they’ve participated in authentic, job-based learning such as internships, coaching and mentoring.

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4. Access to high-quality learning opportunities varies across states and by school poverty level: Principals in high-poverty schools have reported having less access to training in key content areas and cohort-based preparation programs. States and districts that have overhauled standards have made progress in solving this gap.

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The report also urges state and district-level leaders to:

• Develop standards for state licensing and principal PD programs.
• Invest in a statewide infrastructure that gives principals access to coordinated, high-quality and sustained professional learning.
• Prioritize equity by increasing access to high-quality professional development in underserved schools and districts.
• Reform state and local policy to build comprehensive, aligned pipelines of qualified school principals and a coherent system of development.