Teacher quality, followed by Principal quality, are the most important school-level factors influencing student achievement. The research by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) in the report “Effective Principal Effective Schools: A Synthesis of Research Evidence” is not surprising. Schools are PEOPLE places. The teacher is the key school-level factor in student success.
Teacher wellness and professional development programs are therefore an investment in school effectiveness.
Research by Leithwood et al. (2004) concluded that principals account for approximately one-quarter of the total school-level variation in student achievement. However the report in the Huffington Post also highlights, ” that a principal’s strategies take three to five years to yield demonstrable change in student achievement, making it clear that a school cannot turn around overnight as is commonly demanded by business-model advocates of reform.”
Staff who work in schools know that successful change doesn’t happen overnight. Through a consistent approach, determination and focus great things can be achieved but it does take time.