A leaky pipeline limits the residency program's district benefits: only about half of completers became CPS principals within four years, at roughly $535,000 cost per new principal¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causalr2·q2
Currency · newest study 2023 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2026: local conditions change quickly
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q2 i? About one-half of residency completers became CPS principals within four years; as of 2017 slightly more than one-fourth had, yielding a cost of roughly $535,000 per new principal. → Rivkin 2023
Evidence¶
Rivkin 2023¶
Rivkin, S.G., Sartain, L., & Schiman, J.C. (2023). Training and retaining effective school leaders: Results from efforts to improve principal effectiveness in Chicago Public Schools. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/training-retaining-effective-school-leaders
q2 · i? · causal · r2
Analysis of CPS personnel employment trajectories for residency cohorts. The study found "about one-half of residents became principals in CPS within four years"; cost calculations dividing $16.2 million and $80,000 stipends among the 70 residents who became principals sum to roughly $535,000 per new principal.
"Most residency completers entered an assistant principal position upon program completion, and about one-half of residents became principals in CPS within four years of completing their residency"
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Residency-completer principals remained in CPS at similar rates as other principals, with no evidence of differential exit or transfer — related
- Residency-trained principals raised math and reading test scores more than non-residency new principals in their first two years — related
- Cross-sector collaboration is less widespread among school leaders than central office administrators but is particularly strong among participants in grant-funded intensive leadership training or principal residency programs — related
- Fund-supported principals are younger and have shorter tenure than other CPS principals — related
- Many programs face partnership alignment, hiring-placement, and administrative capacity challenges that limit financial sustainability — related
- All six studied high-certification districts partner with at least one teacher residency program and at least one Grow Your Own program — related
- Principal turnover is common: 18% of principals leave schools each year and half of new principals leave within three years, with cascading consequences — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
residency-leaky-pipeline-limited-roi |
title |
A leaky pipeline limits the residency program's district benefits: only about half of completers became CPS principals within four years, at roughly $535,000 cost per new principal |
description |
A leaky pipeline limits the residency program's district benefits: only about half of completers became CPS principals within four years, at roughly $535,000 cost per new principal |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2023 |
source_checked |
2026-10-20 |
recheck_by |
2026 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-08 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — rivkin-2023 |
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