School principals: management training improved People Management but not student test scores

 To improve public services, public sector managers must encourage reticent civil servants to enact effective reforms. This paper shows through a randomized controlled trial that school principals, i.e., school mangers, can act as leaders to improve Instructional Management (0.3SD) and student learning (0.11SD) with existing systems and personnel. Additional management training improved People Management but not student test scores. Managerial enhancements and student test score gains persisted.