State policy differences shape principals' access to high-quality learning: California principals report more access than national peers, North Carolina principals less¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2022 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2027: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Compared to principals nationally, a greater percentage of California principals reported access to preparation and professional development in nearly every important content area and to authentic, job-based learning opportunities, while North Carolina principals reported far less access. → Darling-Hammond 2022

Evidence¶

Darling-Hammond 2022¶

Darling-Hammond, L., Wechsler, M. E., Levin, S., Leung-Gagné, M., & Tozer, S. (2022). Developing effective principals: What kind of learning matters? [Report]. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/641.201

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Cross-state survey comparison found California principals reported greater access to content including equity and teaching diverse learners, reflecting recent changes to state licensure and accreditation policies; after years of budget cuts, North Carolina principals reported far less access to nearly every kind of professional development.

"compared to principals nationally, a greater percentage of California principals reported that they had access to preparation and professional development in nearly every important content area, including areas focused on equity and teaching diverse learners, and a greater percentage reported that they had authentic, job-based learning opportunities in both pre- and in-service contexts."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Domain Context — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Only 46% of principals reported a preparation internship involving real leadership responsibilities, and few in-service principals had coaching or mentoring — related
• High-quality principal preparation and professional development programs are associated with positive principal, teacher, and student outcomes — related
• Principals' access to professional development is positively related to student gains in both ELA and mathematics, with the strongest and most consistent relationships in mathematics — related
• Far fewer elementary principals participate in authentic, job-embedded professional learning than have access to professional development content — related
• More than two thirds of principals want equity-focused professional development, with significant differences by community type — related
• Access to high-quality principal learning varies by school poverty level: principals in high-poverty schools report fewer opportunities — related
• North Carolina's educator-diversity policy record is mixed, with strongest performance on data, GYO programs, and induction and weakest on financial and leadership supports — related
• Principals with access to high-quality professional learning opportunities are more likely to stay in the profession — related
• In a large California study, principals' preparation quality and professional development access predicted teacher retention and student achievement gains — related
• Field-based internships and on-the-job coaching by expert principals are reported as principals' most valuable but least experienced learning opportunity — related
• Most U.S. elementary school principals report access to professional development content identified as important for building leadership capacity — related
• Equity-oriented leadership preparation through applied and reflective learning can deepen aspiring principals' understanding of bias and equitable practices — related