Overlooked Until Now: Principal Supervision
May 19, 2015High Cost of Principal Turnover
This op ed piece from Will Miller of the Wallace Foundation, examines an often overlooked component of school leadership, school principal supervision. Those who have worked in schools for any length of time recognize the vital role principals play in building a quality education experience for children. Because of the dedicated work of many researchers, we now have ample evidence to back up this bit of conventional wisdom. Rigorous studies confirm that principals fall only behind teachers in their impact on student achievement (see Wing Institute Data Mining item, How Do Principals Compare With Teachers in Improving Student Outcomes?). We also know that how principals supervise and mentor teachers has a profound positive effect on the performance of classroom teachers and classroom instruction (Robinson, Lloyd, and Rowe, 2008). Unfortunately, we often neglect the importance of providing school principals with the same support and training that forms effective teachers. It is true most school systems give a head nod to this function, but as this piece by Will Miller underscores, this critical function is badly designed and poorly supported by the majority of school districts.
Robinson, V. M. (2007). School leadership and student outcomes: Identifying what works and why (Vol. 41). Winmalee, Australia: Australian Council for Educational Leaders