Report Finds Link Behind Principal Pipeline and School Success

Report Finds Link Behind Principal Pipeline and School Success

The Wallace Foundation and The Rand Corporation funded a study to determine the value of having a ‘principal pipeline,’ and how that kind of structure and support for creating principals could perhaps improve a struggling district. Their findings are thought provoking.

The thesis is not new: principals are the backbone of a successful school. It’s been seen throughout education that a powerful leader can create real change in a struggling school, keep teacher turnover low and sharpen curriculum. As a district identifies potential administrators, creating a pipeline to support their training becomes paramount to growing leadership capacity from within.

Likewise, a district can create teacher pipelines with many of the same benefits. Districts that need Special Ed certified teachers, for example, or TESOL, can identify strong teachers to earn Special Ed or TESOL extensions, thereby building the district from within. Filling hard-to-find areas of classroom expertise while holding onto strong educators benefits students, schools, and districts.

These were the big takeaways from the study:

  • Pipelines are affordable: six districts that do use pipelines use less than .5% of their budget on pipelines
  • Pipelines keep both high student standards as well as high retention, which is a win-win for both students and districts
  • Pipelines are eligible for Title I funding under the evidence requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act

The study seems to demonstrate that having a principal pipeline is a feasible way to improve schools across the board. Read the full report here and additional information can be found at The Wallace Foundation.

CITE is partnering with districts on creating pipelines (thereby increasing student achievement and staff retention). We have the capability to partner with districts in several areas:

  • Special Education license extension
  • Bilingual Spanish license extension
  • TESOL license extension
  • Master’s programs in Early Childhood and Childhood general and Special Ed
  • SBL Certification

Give us a call for information 718-923-9333 or email john@citeprograms.com


CITE is the Center for Integrated Training and Education. For over 25 years, CITE has and continues to train TEACHERS (Early ChildhoodProfessional CertificationSpecial Ed,Grad CoursesBilingual coursesDASA); COUNSELORS (SchoolMental Health MastersAdvanced Certificate); and ADMINISTRATORS (SBLSDLPublic AdminDoctorate) in all five boroughs of NYC, Yonkers, Westchester, and Long Island.

CITE PD offers CTLE-approved in-school professional development tailored to your school’s needs and your vision. Info: citepd.com