42 percent of principals iare considering leaving their position

Full report

Strong and stable school leadership is critical for success in schools across the nation. The duties of the principal are many and varied. Principals, for example, can oversee instruction, purchase curricular materials and supplies, and provide professional learning and supports for teachers.

Unfortunately, many schools do not have stable principal leadership.

In fact, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average tenure of principals in a given school across the United States was four years as of 2016–17. This number masks considerable variation, with 35 percent of principals staying at their school for less than two years and only 11 percent of principals staying at their school for 10 years or more.

To examine the extent of conditions that often contribute to principal turnover, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) collaborated to develop this national principal study. In this final report, NASSP and LPI reveal key findings, relevant survey data, and policy recommendations for lawmakers—plus, they place this research initiative into the context of the broader educational landscape.

The Research

In 2019, LPI surveyed a stratified random sample of 424 secondary school principals selected to represent U.S. secondary schools by community type, size, percentage of students of color, and percentage of students eligible for the federal lunch program. These principals were also affiliated with NASSP as members, or as school leaders with an active chapter of the National Honor Society or National Junior Honor Society, student leadership programs administered by NASSP.

The NASSP-LPI survey asked these principals about their intentions to stay in the principalship, as well as the extent to which they experience conditions that other research has shown to be related to principal retention and turnover.

Key Findings

Survey and focus group responses reflected national concerns about principal turnover.

1. Working conditions and district supports related to working conditions emerged as concerns.
2. Principals’ compensation and financial obligations were related to their mobility plans.
3. High-stakes accountability systems and evaluation practices can discourage some principals.
4. A lack of decision-making authority is a concern for some principals.
5. Many principals faced obstacles to professional learning opportunities.
6. Larger percentages of principals serving in high-poverty schools and cities reported some of the circumstances associated with principal turnover.