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Principal turnover is too high. Principal supervisors can help
By Amie Cieminski and Anthony Asmus
Categories: Coaching, Collaboration, Leadership, Standards for Professional LearningFebruary 2023
While there has been national attention to the crisis of retaining teachers, principal turnover is also high. The average turnover rate for principals is 18% — a number that, while troubling on its own, obscures the more concerning facts that 35% of principals have been at their schools for less than two years and principal turnover is higher in schools with high poverty rates (Levin & Bradley, 2019). Principal turnover can disrupt school improvement efforts, staff climate, morale, teacher retention, and student achievement. In a review of research, Levin and Bradley (2019) summarized five mechanisms for improving principal retention that focus on professional culture, support, and learning. These strategies provide an important starting place for changing the turnover trend, but implementing them requires a clear
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References
Cieminski, A.B. (2022). The role of principal supervisors in supporting succession practices. In L. Sabina (Ed.), School administrator succession planning: Identifying high-impact practices, programs, and frameworks in P-12 schools (pp. 89-109). Information Age Publishing.
Council of Chief State School Officers. (2015). Model Principal Supervisor Professional Standards. Author.
Honig, M. & Rainey, L. (2020). A teaching-and-learning approach to principal supervision. Phi Delta Kappan, 102(2), 54-57.
Learning Forward. (2022). Standards for Professional Learning. Author.
Levin, S. & Bradley, K. (2019). Understanding and addressing principal turnover: A review of the research. National Association of Secondary School Principals.
Lipton, L. & Wellman, B. (2013). Learning-focused supervision: Developing professional expertise in standards-driven systems. Miravia.
Amie B. Cieminski (amie.cieminski@unco.edu) is an associate professor of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Northern Colorado and former director of secondary school leadership for the Greeley-Evans School District 6.
Anthony Asmus (aasmus@greeleyschools.org) is assistant superintendent of secondary leadership and post-secondary readiness at Greeley-Evans School District 6 in Colorado.
Categories: Coaching, Collaboration, Leadership, Standards for Professional Learning
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