- Research Brief
Aspiring Principals’ Hiring Preferences in Tennessee: Evidence from the Vanderbilt Aspiring Leaders Study
- By Francisco A. Santelli, Jacob M. Rubin, Jason A. Grissom, Kaitlin Binsted
Key Findings
- When considering hiring a teacher candidate, aspiring principals most frequently rank “fit with the school culture” as the most important characteristic, followed by a candidate’s “ability to make data-driven instructional decisions” and “a record of raising student achievement scores.
- Aspiring principals’ preferences for assigning teachers to classrooms mirror their hiring preferences, emphasizing school culture fit and academic achievement.
- Aspiring principals’ hiring preferences are largely consistent across school grade band levels and district urbanicity.
Suggested Citation
Rubin, J. M., Grissom, J. A., Binsted, K., Santelli. F.A. (2026). Aspiring Principals’ Hiring Preferences in Tennessee: Evidence from the Vanderbilt Aspiring Leaders Study. Tennessee Education Research Alliance.