PLI Impact Report: Diversifying The Principal Workforce

Abstract: 

Research confirms that diversifying the educator workforce has a strong positive influence on student achievement, particularly for vulnerable and historically underserved student populations.1 However nationally, 80% of all school principals are White, 10% of all school principals are African American, 7% are Latino, and 3% are Other Races.2 More concerning, the percent of people of color in school principal positions over the past 15 years has remained the same while the rate of another underrepresented group (female principals) has doubled.3

The contributing barriers to diversifying the principal workforce are many including the low number of teachers of color, attrition of teachers of color in the profession, and barriers to promotion within the system. In addition, traditional leadership programs do not embrace the need to racially diversify their curriculum or students as a central part of their mission.4

Since 2000, the Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) at UC Berkeley has recruited and prepared 548 racially diverse and highly skilled leaders, 98% of whom currently work in education, 90% of whom work in California, and 88% of whom work in the greater Bay Area.5 This report highlights the quantifiable impact of our program graduates on the diversification of principals in our four partner districts: Berkeley Unified School District, Oakland Unified School District, San Francisco Unified School District, and West Contra Costa Unified School District. Furthermore, we illustrate the impact of PLI’s students on
the racial composition of students in teacher and leadership preparation programs in the Graduate School of Education at UC Berkeley. Finally, we give a basic description of our programs and how they serve as an example for how leadership preparation programs can focus on the need to racially diversify their curriculum or students as a central part of their mission.

Author: 
Rebecca Cheung
Publication date: 
June 1, 2017
Publication type: 
FQ3: Critically interrogating systems