Aspiring Leadership Programs and Prior Experience Associated With Novice Principals’ Time-Focused on Instruction

This study uses data from the 2020 to 2021 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) to study novice principals’ time spent focused on instructionally related tasks as it is associated with participation in a district- or school-led aspiring leaders program (ALP) and prior leadership experience. Findings demonstrate that there is a significant positive association between participation in an ALP and prior leadership experience and the time that novice principals spend focused on instruction. Larger estimates are observed for novice principals with both factors. These findings hold implications for school districts in their hiring and their investment in developing ALPs and principal preparation programs (PPPs) in their development of novice principals.