Examining Effective Principal Professional Development Through a University-District Sponsored Principals Academy

Principal leadership is second only to teacher quality among the most important school-related factors influencing student achievement. As leadership for learning in schools becomes increasingly complex and challenging, principals at every career stage will need better preparation, support, and training. One effective approach to continuous principal improvement is for districts to partner with universities in bringing principals together for professional development in “institutes” or “academies”. Employing a basic mixed methods approach, we examined the effectiveness of one long-standing principal institute, the Brigham Young University Principals Academy, a closely coordinated effort between five partnership school districts and the university to support principals. Our analysis revealed four dominant themes that may guide districts and universities as they seek to improve their coordinated efforts to support principals throughout their careers.