Latest Data on Characteristics of Public and Private Elementary and Secondary School Principals in the United States

Characteristics of Public and Private Elementary and Secondary School Principals in the United States: Results From the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey First Look: The National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) collects data from public and private K-12 schools, principals, and teachers across the United States.  Its data provides critical data on core topics such as school characteristics and services, principal and teacher demographics, and teacher preparation.  The most recent 2017-18 report examined public (traditional), charter, and private school principals in terms of:  race/ethnicity, age, highest college degree, salary, years experience (as a principal and at their current school), level of influence on decision-making, and experience with evaluations.  A few of the more notable points include:

•     Twenty-seven percent of school principals are 55 or older. This represents a significant number of principals who likely to retire in five years.

•     The average salary for school principals is $ 92,900.

•     Over ninety percent (91.7%) of school principals have a Master’s Degree or higher.

•     Almost half (44.3%) of school principals have less than three years experience in their current schools.

•     Seventy percent of school principals received evaluations in the selected year (79% in traditional public schools, 69% in charter schools, and 51% in private schools).

Citation: Taie, S., and Goldring, R. (2019). Characteristics of Public and Private Elementary and Secondary School Principals in the United States: Results From the 2017–18 National Teacher and Principal Survey First Look (NCES 2019- 141). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. 

Link: https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2019/2019141.pdf