Fulton County Principal Leadership Program Evaluation

Two professionals talk as they walk down a hallway

Problem

Fulton County Schools wanted to understand the benefits, drawbacks, and costs associated with a new principal leadership program.

Fulton County Schools (FCS) implemented the National Association of Elementary School Principals’ National Mentor Training and Certification Program at district schools. This unique program trains experienced principals to mentor incoming principals, creating a pipeline of FCS-specific support rather than relying upon a third party to train new principals. With the program in its second year, FCS wanted to know how the program benefits the principals, what program features increase participation, whether the program contributed to principal retention, and how program costs compared to previous principal training programs.

Solution

NORC led a study to evaluate the implementation of the principal program.

To capture the voices of program participants, NORC conducted six focus groups with experienced and incoming principals. We gathered information about the advantages and challenges of their leadership programs. NORC also conducted a resource cost analysis, which reviewed the time participants spent and the technology used to complete the program. Program costs included time spent by the district coordinator and mentor and mentee principals.

Result

District leaders can use the study findings to plan future principal training and support.

NORC’s focus groups with principals revealed that participant buy-in would improve with more transparency about the purpose of the program early on. In-district support delivered by district principals (rather than from a third party) provided new principals with mentorship tailored to FCS’s professional practice. In addition, working in proximal schools improved the likelihood that mentors and mentee principals would meet in person.

The comparative cost analysis found that costs were primarily associated with the time it took principals to complete the program rather than to develop the curriculum. This means that costs decline over time because fewer principals need annual training. Experienced principals spent approximately 12 hours per month to administer the program, many donating their time outside of their workday. As a result, FCS may want to consider providing stipends in the future to defray these additional efforts.