Principals

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Homelessness in L.A., Russia's Military Woes, Educator Morale: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on breaking the cycle of incarceration and homelessness, Russia’s ongoing military struggles, NATO expansion, and more.

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Will Teachers Quit? What Surveys Can and Can't Tell Us

There is no single source for reliable current data about teacher and principal turnover or job openings, so it's understandable that journalists rely on survey data to monitor the health of the teacher and principal workforce. But media coverage that focuses only on the connection, or lack thereof, between teachers' intentions to leave and actual turnover stands the risk of minimizing the clearly stated dissatisfaction that educators are expressing.

Sy Doan, Elizabeth D. Steiner @ED_Steiner

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Educators' Poor Morale Matters, Even If They Don't Quit. Here's Why

State and district education leaders can take steps now to reduce teacher and principal stress this fall in two ways: Recognize that job-related stress is systemic and that educators closer to the classroom may experience more of it, and talk with teachers and principals about the sources of stress in their job, and what could alleviate them.

Elizabeth D. Steiner @ED_Steiner, Heather L. Schwartz @schwartz_hl, et al.

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Preventing Civilian Casualties, Drinking During the Pandemic, Vaccination Equity: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how to reform the Pentagon’s policies on civilian casualties, secondary school principals’ well-being, alcohol use in the COVID-19 era, and more.

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How Schools Adjusted to Life Under COVID-19

In spring 2020, nearly every school in America had to figure out how to make distance learning work. Some handed out thick packets of homework for students to do on their own. Others handed out laptops. Most principals agree that better planning for future closures should be a priority.

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How COVID-19 Affected the Nation's Schools: New Data Gives Insights for Planning

RAND surveyed teachers and principals to gauge how the pandemic has affected schooling, what supports these educators need, and how they are thinking about the next school year.

Laura S. Hamilton

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Navigating College and Career Readiness in a Time of Uncertainty

How we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic today will likely have longer-term effects. This means that we need to think about people who are actively preparing for that future: high school students looking to enter college and careers.

Melanie A. Zaber @MelanieZaber, Laura S. Hamilton

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Infectious Diseases, Zimbabwe, Students with Disabilities: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the U.S. response to infectious diseases, Zimbabwe after Mugabe, the support for students with disabilities, and more.

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Back to School Means Back to SEL for America's Teachers and Principals

Schools are increasingly adopting programs and practices to build social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Policymakers can benefit from understanding the educator perspective: how they feel about SEL, what they're doing to promote it, and what resources they need.

Laura S. Hamilton, Christopher Joseph Doss @Chris_J_Doss, et al.

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Truth Decay, Principals, Augmented Reality: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on media literacy education as a way to fight Truth Decay, turning screen time into outdoor time, the importance of school principals, and more.

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Investing in Principals Helps Students Succeed

Hiring good principals is one of the most important things a district can do for its students, second only to hiring good teachers. Students whose schools participated in a principal pipeline initiative outperformed their peers by six percentage points on reading tests and nearly three points in math.

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Medicare for All, Principals, Cigarette Labels: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on spending estimates under Medicare for All, the benefits of principal pipelines, graphic warning labels on cigarettes, and more.

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For Teachers, a Good Boss Makes All the Difference

Districts that try to place an effective leader in every school could reap educational benefits in the classroom. Giving a teacher a good boss also could be a powerful element in a broader strategy to recruit and retain highly effective educators.

Susan M. Gates, Laura S. Hamilton

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Trump-Kim Summit, Climate Change, Zarif: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the Trump-Kim summit, how cities can prepare for climate change, Mohammad Javad Zarif's resignation, and more.

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Saudi Arabia, Border Troops, China's Military: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how to deter aggression abroad, examining the need for U.S. troops at the border, China's aerospace capabilities, and more.

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How States and Districts Can Leverage the Every Student Succeeds Act to Improve School Leadership

The Every Student Succeeds Act provides states and districts with new chances to invest in school leadership. A review of interventions can serve as a starting point to enact relevant solutions and build the evidence base for what works.

Rebecca Herman, Susan M. Gates

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Principals in Small Districts Receive Far Less 'Instructional Leadership' Support, Survey Shows

Until recently, little was known about how much support principals in the United States receive to be effective “instructional leaders.” A national survey shows that mentors and supervisors do provide feedback focused on principals' role in teaching and learning, but the amount varies.

Julia H. Kaufman @juliahkaufman

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Improving School Leadership: What Works

There is evidence that having strong school leaders is instrumental for improving the quality of teaching. But resource constraints and pressure to spend money directly on students have left interventions focused on principals largely overlooked. However, the new Every Student Succeeds Act may be changing the script.

Rebecca Herman, Susan M. Gates

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A Principal Role in Education

Principals are second only to teachers as the most important school factor affecting student achievement, but their contributions are often underappreciated. They establish a vision that motivates the entire community, build a school culture that supports student learning, ensure resources are used effectively, and engage with the community.

Susan M. Gates

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Transforming Schools by Developing 21st-Century Skills

If students are to learn the skills they need to succeed in tomorrow's competitive world, educators may need to rethink yesterday's teaching practices. That's the rationale behind teaching 21st century skills, which include high-order abilities like teamwork and critical thinking.

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School Principals Respond to Performance-Based Evaluation System

It's fair to say the program turned out to be an important step for the district in the context of its overall reform plan considering how important high-quality school leadership is for improving teaching and learning, write Laura Hamilton and John Engberg.

Laura S. Hamilton, John Engberg