Domestic Excellence

School Leadership Initiative

Equipping school districts to find, support, and retain effective principals.

20%

Of current principals retire, leave their schools, or leave the profession each year

25%

Of a school's total impact on student achievement is attributed to the principal

Principal Performance Evaluation Guidebook

A guide to best practices during the principal evaluation process

Resource
Principal Talent Management Framework

Best practices for attracting, supporting, and retaining effective principals

Resource
Effective Implementation Framework

How schools and districts can make lasting changes in practice and policy.

Resource
The Making of a Great Principal

How school districts can develop strong leaders, who, in turn, can improve student achievement across the country.
Essay
Great Principals at Scale

If we want to achieve systemic impact, we must create district conditions that enable all principals to be effective.
Report
Developing Leaders: The Importance - and the Challenges - of Evaluating Principal Preparation Programs

Report
Operating in the Dark

What outdated state policies and data gaps mean for effective school leadership
Report

Significant focus has been paid to the impact effective teachers have on student success. Less attention has been given to the role of the school leader.

Well-trained, supported, effective principals recruit and retain the best teachers, enable the success of their students, and set a positive school culture.

WORKING WITH DISTRICTS

The School Leadership Initiative dramatically improves the way school districts find, support, and retain highly effective principals. Our experts work at the district level to make and sustain change, share best practices for preparing and supporting principals over their careers, and recommend district policies and practices that support effective school principals.

Through 2020, the Bush Institute will implement our Principal Talent Management Framework and other tools in four school districts: Austin Independent School District (Austin, TX), Fort Worth Independent School District (Fort Worth, TX), Chesterfield County Public Schools (Chesterfield, VA), and Granite School District (Salt Lake City, UT).