As current school leaders move up their career ladders or leave the profession, it is crucial to ensure that there is a pool of strong, capable leaders ready to take their places.

The need seems greater now than ever, as headlines across the country proclaim an educator shortage that has been exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, around 1 in 10 public and private school principals in the U.S. left their posts between 2020-21 and 2021-22.

Here in California, the attrition of school leaders was pronounced, even before the pandemic. One 2018 study conducted by the Learning Policy Institute found that between the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years, 22 percent of California principals left their position, 7 percent moved to a different school, and 15 percent left the profession or state.

Whether principals leave their sites or leave the profession, the instability in leadership has an effect on school performance. Principals are second only to teachers in the ability to improve outcomes for students, according to a report from the Learning Policy Institute, which ties principal turnover to a decrease in student achievement.

While there is a clear need to increase the number of principals in the pipeline and create conditions that encourage them to stay in their schools, research has shown that students can also benefit when those school leaders are more diverse.

According to the Diversity in Leadership Institute, having more leaders of color in schools can lead to “higher scores on standardized assessments, lower rates of suspension and stronger ratings of college and career readiness compared to less representative schools.” The institute reports that while 60 percent of students in California TK-12 public schools are Black or Latinx, only 20 percent of public schools in 2018 had a Black or Latinx principal.

One current effort to increase diversity among school leaders is the state’s Diverse Education Leaders Pipeline Initiative Grant Program, which awards one-time grants of up to $30,000 per administrator candidate to LEAs in order to train, place, and retain diverse and culturally responsive administrators.

ACSA has also played a role in supporting the development of new educational leaders, in partnership with Sacramento County Office of Education, through its Preliminary Administrative Services Credential Program, known as the Leadership Institute.

Since 2017, the program has helped more than 350 candidates grow in their leadership abilities through hybrid learning, guided fieldwork and an end-of-program showcase.

Over the course of this 10-month program, candidates engage in six courses that look at strategies successful leaders employ to implement a vision that supports student learning and builds community. Courses go in-depth on critical leadership behaviors and systems and how they must interact to create intentional change.

Candidates receive instruction from current and retired administrators who have intimate knowledge of school leadership. Students gain insight into solving the biggest challenges in education from leaders who are facing them right now.

“The ACSA preliminary credential program puts you in touch with real world leaders in education,” said Aftan Wright, assistant principal at Sunnymeadows Elementary School in Moreno Valley USD and 2021 graduate of ACSA’s Leadership Institute. “I was able to get advice and expand my résumé by landing an administrative position in MVUSD. The experiences I have achieved have prepared me for my future in administration.”

Those who enroll in Leadership Institute also benefit from free student ACSA membership, personalized Cal-APA coaching, and career preparation and placement support.

As current site leaders consider retirement or moving up, it’s crucial that districts identify the next generation of diverse leaders who can continue the work.

“There’s never been a greater need to tap on the shoulders of those who you think have the capacity to be our next great leaders. The time is now for districts to build their bench and grow capacity from within,” said Tamerin Tooker, ACSA director of Credential and Coaching Services.

ACSA will be hosting a series of informational meetings for those interested in learning more about earning their Preliminary Administrative Services Credential. Aspiring leaders are invited to join one of these sessions and learn how ACSA can help them take the first step in becoming an education leader.