Policy Brief

Principals’ Perspectives on Policy: What Education Leaders Seek Through Policy

Group of teachers listening to a speaker.
Lois Kimmel and Tara Zuber
February 2022 | American Institutes for Research
Group of teachers listening to a speaker.

In this third brief in the Leaders We Need Now series from the American Institutes for Research and WestEd, researchers identified five policy actions that they believed policymakers should consider when determining their education policy agendas: (1) principal pipelines and workforce incentives; (2) testing and accountability; (3) principal and teacher preparation and professional development; (4) honoring, recognizing, and listening to principals; and (5) funding and resources. This brief presents policy-related themes and ideas from principals that can support policymakers’ next steps. The accompanying guide provides insight on the principals’ role in shaping policy.