Download Brief
Published:
January 2019
Authors:
Alyssa Blanchard
Youjin Chung
Jason A. Grissom
Brendan Bartanen
Key Findings
- Principal quality is unevenly distributed in Tennessee. More experienced and higher rated principals are concentrated in schools with fewer students in poverty, low-achieving students, and students of color.
- Hiring and turnover drive inequities in principal quality across the state. Schools with higher proportions of students in poverty, low-achieving students, and students of color are more likely to hire inexperienced or ineffective principals and to experience greater principal turnover.
Methods
This analysis examines principal distribution across three measures of school demographics--student poverty, student achievement, and the percentage of students of color. Principal effectiveness is measured using years of experience in a principal position and rubric-based ratings of effective principal practice taken from the state's evaluation system.
