Insights for Action Research Summary: School Leaders’ Perceptions of their Roles

Over the past decade, TERA has tackled some of Tennessee’s most pressing educational challenges. We’ve examined teacher retention and pipeline development, investigated principal and leadership effectiveness, explored strategic staffing, supported early-career educators, and analyzed the drivers of student learning and well-being. Our research has illuminated pathways to postsecondary readiness and shaped how educational leaders think about their work.

Over the next few months, we’re recapping our research, the insights that have emerged, and how evidence-driven collaboration continues to reshape educational policy and practice in our state. We’re excited to share this milestone, as we reflect on a decade of rigorous research and why this work matters.

• Key Insight #1: Overall, school leaders are satisfied in their roles, though satisfaction varies by experience, performance, and school characteristics.
• Key Insight #2: Principal feelings of autonomy differ based on school context, and principals report different levels of control over some job areas compared to others.
• Key Insight #3: Effectiveness ratings, satisfaction, and student demographics are related to retention in the school leader role.
• Key Insight #4: Principals value a high frequency of feedback and consistency in their evaluators over time, and evaluators tend to rate those principals who improve student achievement in their schools highly.