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How School Principals Influence Student Learning

Author

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  • Dhuey, Elizabeth

    (University of Toronto)

  • Smith, Justin

    (Wilfrid Laurier University)

Abstract

Many studies examine the importance of teachers in students' learning, but few exist on the contribution of principals. We measure the effect of principals on gains in primary test scores in North Carolina and estimate the standard deviation of principals' value added to be 0.12 -0.17. We find that the match between principals and schools accounts for a significant amount of principals' value added and also find that replacing the current principal has little effect on non-test score school inputs and outcomes regardless of the new principal's value added, but that brand new principals have a detrimental effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Dhuey, Elizabeth & Smith, Justin, 2014. "How School Principals Influence Student Learning," IZA Discussion Papers 7949, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp7949
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. C. Kirabo Jackson, 2013. "Match Quality, Worker Productivity, and Worker Mobility: Direct Evidence from Teachers," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 95(4), pages 1096-1116, October.
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    11. Clotfelter, Charles T. & Ladd, Helen F. & Vigdor, Jacob L., 2007. "Teacher credentials and student achievement: Longitudinal analysis with student fixed effects," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 673-682, December.
    12. Dan Goldhaber & Emily Anthony, 2007. "Can Teacher Quality Be Effectively Assessed? National Board Certification as a Signal of Effective Teaching," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 89(1), pages 134-150, February.
    13. Hanley Chiang & Stephen Lipscomb & Brian Gill, 2016. "Is School Value Added Indicative of Principal Quality?," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 11(3), pages 283-309, Summer.
    14. repec:mpr:mprres:7587 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Gregory F. Branch & Eric A. Hanushek & Steven G. Rivkin, 2012. "Estimating the Effect of Leaders on Public Sector Productivity: The Case of School Principals," NBER Working Papers 17803, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Anand, Gautam & Atluri, Aishwarya & Crawfurd, Lee & Pugatch, Todd & Sheth, Ketki, 2023. "Improving school management in low and middle income countries: A systematic review," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    2. Bartanen, Brendan & Husain, Aliza N. & Liebowitz, David D., 2024. "Rethinking principal effects on student outcomes," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    3. Adriana Di Liberto & Fabiano Schivardi & Giovanni Sulis, 2015. "Managerial practices and student performance," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 30(84), pages 683-728.
    4. Mariesa Herrmann & Christine Ross, "undated". "Measuring Principals' Effectiveness: Results from New Jersey's First Year of Statewide Principal Evaluation," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 5f9c12f1d7404636aaf2e98e5, Mathematica Policy Research.
    5. Ingo E. Isphording & Ulf Zölitz, 2020. "The value of a peer," ECON - Working Papers 342, Department of Economics - University of Zurich.
    6. Moira McCullough & Stephen Lipscomb & Hanley Chiang & Brian Gill & Irina Cheban, "undated". "Measuring School Leaders' Effectiveness: Final Report from a Multiyear Pilot of Pennsylvania's Framework for Leadership," Mathematica Policy Research Reports afa7e4c19e4140f3b17422e99, Mathematica Policy Research.
    7. Lex Borghans & Ron Diris, 2014. "Allocating Instruction Time: How Language Instruction Can Affect Multiple Skills," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 8(2), pages 161-198.
    8. Bruna Borges & Gabriel Leite & Ricardo Madeira & Luis Meloni, 2024. "Evaluating the impact of a principals’ professional development program on school management practices: Evidence from Brazil," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2024_03, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    9. Di Liberto, Adriana & Giua, Ludovica & Schivardi, Fabiano & Sideri, Marco & Sulis, Giovanni, 2023. "Managerial Practices and Student Performance: Evidence from Changes in School Principals," IZA Discussion Papers 16203, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Mike Helal & Michael Coelli, 2016. "How Principals Affect Schools," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2016n18, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    11. Xiaodi Jiang & Ren Liu, 2024. "Factors influencing school climate: an empirical study based on the TALIS principal survey," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    12. Mohammad Reza Farzanegan & Marcel Thum, 2020. "Does oil rents dependency reduce the quality of education?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 58(4), pages 1863-1911, April.
    13. Moira McCullough & Stephen Lipscomb & Hanley Chiang & Brian Gill, "undated". "Do Principals' Professional Practice Ratings Reflect Their Contributions to Student Achievement? Evidence from Pennsylvania's Framework for Leadership," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 23864abe140c4b658d1ba88d4, Mathematica Policy Research.
    14. Elias Walsh & Dallas Dotter, 2020. "The Impact on Student Achievement of Replacing Principals in District of Columbia Public Schools," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 15(3), pages 518-542, Summer.
    15. Hanley Chiang & Stephen Lipscomb & Brian Gill, 2014. "Is School Value Added Indicative of Principal Quality?," Mathematica Policy Research Reports a11ab111ac3a497885e0a736f, Mathematica Policy Research.
    16. Hanley Chiang & Stephen Lipscomb & Brian Gill, 2016. "Is School Value Added Indicative of Principal Quality?," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 11(3), pages 283-309, Summer.
    17. Tommaso Agasisti & Patrizia Falzetti & Mara Soncin, 2016. "Italian school principals’ managerial behaviors and students’ test scores: an empirical analysis," Working papers 43, Società Italiana di Economia Pubblica.
    18. Bartanen, Brendan & Husain, Aliza N., 2022. "Connected networks in principal value-added models," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    economics of education; principals; school leadership;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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