Principal turnover is associated with lower student achievement, worse climate, and higher teacher attrition, with effects lasting up to 5 years¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2031: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? In years following a principal's departure, student test scores typically decline in levels and growth, with negative effects lasting up to 5 years and larger in high-poverty schools. → Darling-Hammond 2026 q2 i? Replacing a principal with an internal hire or someone with prior administrative experience buffers negative turnover impacts; external hires and transfers increase teacher turnover. → Darling-Hammond 2026 (2)

Evidence¶

Darling-Hammond 2026¶

Darling-Hammond, L., Fitz, J., Giani, M. V., Gordon, M. F., & Wechsler, M. (2026). The principal effect: How investing in school leaders is key to solving education's challenges. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/644.197

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review reports that after a principal's departure "student test scores typically go down, both in terms of their overall levels and rates of growth," with negative effects lasting up to 5 years and larger in high-poverty, low-achievement schools.

"The negative effects of principal turnover can last up to 5 years and tend to be larger in high-poverty schools and schools with a history of low student achievement."

Darling-Hammond 2026 (2)¶

Darling-Hammond, L., Fitz, J., Giani, M. V., Gordon, M. F., & Wechsler, M. (2026). The principal effect: How investing in school leaders is key to solving education's challenges. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/644.197

q2 · i? · review · r2

Longitudinal studies in Texas and New York City reported in the review found internal hires or experienced successors "seemed to buffer some of the negative impacts of turnover." In New York, external hires raised teacher turnover and sharply dropped trust, order, and vision ratings; these effects were not observed for internally promoted principals.

"researchers found that replacing a principal with either an internal hire, such as an assistant principal, or someone with prior administrative expertise seemed to buffer some of the negative impacts of turnover, including teacher turnover and negative impacts on school climates."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Principals' instructional leadership practices are linked to improved student outcomes, largely through their support for teachers — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• Positive school climate, which principals shape, improves attendance, behavior, graduation, and achievement and buffers poverty effects — related
• Middle grades principals have lasting effects on students' high school outcomes and young-adult life outcomes, beyond contemporaneous achievement effects — related
• Effective principals have positive effects on student outcomes including grades, test scores, attendance, discipline, and long-term attainment — related
• Principal turnover often has negative effects on student achievement, teacher retention, and school culture unless a much more effective principal replaces the prior one — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Principal turnover is common: 18% of principals leave schools each year and half of new principals leave within three years, with cascading consequences — related
• High teacher attrition, near 8% annually, is the largest share of teacher demand, and halving it could virtually eliminate shortages — related
• Teachers reporting higher leadership effectiveness and supports have lower predicted turnover (9.0% vs. 18.7% for low-leadership teachers) — related
• No study of principal burnout employed a causal framework or linked burnout to actual turnover — related