Principals in Principle and Practice

How Principals Affect Students and Schools: A Systematic Synthesis of Two Decades of Research by Grissom, Jason A., Anna J. Egalite, and Constance A. Lindsay
Wallace Foundation and Vanderbilt University, February 1, 2021

Heads and principals of schools know they are in a position to have deep and lasting effects on students, but a new report indicates that their impact is both greater and broader than previously understood. In this 2021 Research Report, the Wallace Foundation and Vanderbilt University provide a careful summary of two decades of leadership research. In just 100 accessible pages, the authors produce a concise analysis of what we know about school leadership effects and what skills and behaviors are the most powerful for school heads to have and use to support learning and teacher growth. It is timely, and it is direct: leadership matters. Effective school leaders drive student achievement, retention of high-quality educators, and the creation of a productive school culture and climate. The report highlights not just what school leaders do but how they do it. They do not lead alone; instead, they engage and mobilize the entire school community in sharing ownership for leadership. One conclusion speaks volumes about the magnitude of the findings: "Indeed it is difficult to envision an investment with a higher ceiling on its potential return than a successful effort to improve school leadership." With the evidence of this report in hand, another finding is clear and unambiguous: the need to design ways to develop, hire, retain, and professionally nourish leaders who can be effective in today's contexts, with today's students, and with tomorrow's leaders always in view.