Achieving Student Success by Increasing Sustainability and Retention for School Leaders

Roughly 1 in 10 (11%) of public school principals left the profession entirely between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years, resigning or retiring at more than double pre-pandemic rates.

One hundred percent of principals in our Growth Accelerator program returned to their schools this year. Why is this so important? Principal turnover results in higher teacher turnover which, in turn, is related to lower student achievement. (NASSP) For example, in a study of principal retention in Miami, researchers found a strong influence of principal turnover on teacher turnover across multiple years of employment data, with the odds of teachers leaving about 17 percent higher when they have a new principal. Principal turnover is disruptive to student learning and also carries a financial burden for districts with the estimated cost to replace a single principal being $75,000.

Despite the importance of the principal role in student achievement and teacher retention, 40% of principals say their training has left them unprepared to work with our highest need students. And most school systems do not have a comprehensive pipeline process to develop and retain talent at all levels.

Successfully transforming schools hinges on recruiting, developing, and retaining effective and impactful leaders. Increasingly, states and districts are identifying principal mentoring and coaching as a priority area especially since improving principal recruitment and development is a cost-effective approach to school improvement. At Accelerate Institute, we are disrupting the status quo by equipping school systems with the tools to proactively build staff capacity across all levels.

We believe a better predictor of student success is about more than a new curriculum or assessment; it’s about the strength of the team and retention of staff.

Students First: Their Power is our Purpose was our rallying cry this past school year. The leaders Accelerate Institute supported through our Growth Accelerator and Leadership Academy programs have worked hard to ensure their students remain at the center of the work and that staff are prepared to support all students academically, socially, and emotionally. And their hard work has paid off.

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Let’s celebrate our leaders’ accomplishments!

Growth Accelerator

In the 2023-24 school year:

• 100% retention of Growth Accelerator Principals in their roles as school leaders and program participants.
• 100% of our Growth Accelerator Schools made above average growth in reading or math.
• The percentage of schools rated as organized or higher on the 5Essentials Survey nearly doubled from the 2022-23 school year to the 2023-24 school year, increasing from 25% to 44%.
• 100% of Accelerator Schools maintained or improved the “principal effectiveness” rating on the 2023-24 5Essentials Survey.
• 100% of Growth Accelerator Principals strongly agree that they would recommend the program to other school leaders.

Leadership Academy

In the 2023-24 school year:

• The average score of Leadership Academy participants on their pre- and post-Leadership Academy assessment (which assesses their overall internalization of the leadership concepts and strategies taught in the program) nearly doubled, growing from 12.5 to 23.
• 100% of Leadership Academy participants rated 100% of Leadership Academy PD sessions as impactful or highly impactful.
• 100% of Leadership Academy participants strongly agree they would recommend the Leadership Academy.

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Transformational leader highlights

We were incredibly excited and proud to hear that three of our Growth Accelerator Principals were awarded Chicago Public Schools’s Principal Game Changer Award. Yalil Nieves, principal at Peterson Elementary, Juwana Foster-Wells, principal at Carroll-Rosenwald Elementary, and Liz Jamison-Dunn, principal at Catalyst Circle Rock were all celebrated at the CPS Summer Institute in July. CPS defines a “game changer” as a leader who possesses a unique blend of vision, innovation, and dedication. Game changers continually seek out new strategies, push beyond conventional methods, and work tirelessly to transform their school communities. Our team could not agree more. Yalil, Juwana, and Liz are deeply committed to their students and families.

We share congratulations to Growth Accelerator Principal JW Kuebler on his election to serve on the Chicago Public Schools Principal Advisory Board (PAC)! This is a unique opportunity for principals across the district to provide critical feedback and represent the voice of principals to senior leaders at CPS. The group will meet bi-monthly with the CPS CEO Pedro Martinez and CEdO Bogdana Chkoumbova to discuss relevant policies and initiatives that support the district’s priorities and missions. Principal Kuebler’s commitment to students first will be an asset to the Advisory Board.

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Growth Accelerator Principal Claudia Lopez and Fairfield Elementary Academy are leading the way with the opening of Fairfield’s Wellness Center. This calming space will support Fairfiled students’ mental and emotional wellbeing with programs like art therapy, mindfulness, and life skills coaching. This milestone reflects Principal Lopez’s ongoing commitment to integrating social-emotional learning and healing-centered practices to promote the collective well-being of students.

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When it comes to amping up students to excel academically, Growth Accelerator Principal Jarell Lee has an especially effective tool in his toolkit: the power of music! In his latest music video, Principal Lee and collaborators showcase his and his team members’ commitment to accelerating student achievement at KIPP Academy Chicago Primary (KIPP Chicago Schools), which involves everything from offering guidance and support and an engaging curriculum to focusing on strong attendance and making sure EVERY student has access to the quality education they deserve. Talk about inspirational!

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Our impact grows

Together, the nearly 600 principals and leadership team members we have supported across the country have impacted more than 173,700 students in 27 cities.

Our work continues with this year’s partners. Our rallying cry for this school year is Lead With Heart, Inspire With Action. When our leaders lead with heart, they are leading with their why in mind, the part of them that connects to their staff and students. We also want our leaders to inspire their school communities to action through their actions or behaviors when they execute and show up each and every day.

With the 2024-25 school year now underway, our advisory team members have truly enjoyed getting to be in the school buildings with leaders walking classrooms during the first quarter of the year and kicking off the Leadership Academy Institute 6-week professional learning experience.

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Growth Accelerator cohort 6

We have 12 exceptional leaders completing their third and final year of the Growth Accelerator program. We commend them for their dedication to their leadership development and for how they lead with heart and inspire with action.

Dorienne Canada-Pendleton Perspectives Charter Schools – Joslin Campus	Edward Collins Burbank Elementary	Juwana Foster-Wells Carroll-Rosenwald Elementary School	Yadira Guzman Whittier Elementary School
Carolyn Jones Perkins Bass Elementary	Natasha Jones Lawndale Community Academy	Claudia Lopez Fairfield Academy	Yalil Nieves Mary Gage Peterson Elementary School
Patrina Singleton Joseph Brennemann Elementary School	Keviyona Smith-Ray Randolph Elementary School	Lawrence Spaulding Percy L. Julian High School	Rocio Tovar Namaste Charter School

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Leadership Academy Plus

We have 12 amazing leaders engaging in transformational leadership professional learning through our Leadership Academy Plus program. We would like to extend a special thank you to Polk Bros Foundation for providing scholarships for eight exceptional leaders, impacting thousands of students in CPS this year.

Krystina Henley* Catalyst Maria Elementary Chicago, IL	Dr. Shonnika Henry Lionel Hampton Fine & Performing Arts School Chicago, IL	Shauna Bellen Providence Englewood Chicago, IL	Diamond Perkins* LEARN Charter South Chicago Chicago, IL
Doreatha Butler* Dyett Arts HS Chicago, IL	Carlepha Kyser* Pirie Elementary Chicago, IL	Vickie Durrah Chicago Military Academy Chicago, IL	Collette Fearon New Beginnings Family Academy Bridgeport, CT
Jasmine Gilliam* Woodlawn Elementary Chicago, IL	JoeAnn Nash* CICS Loomis Primary Chicago, IL	Gabriela Núñez* Telpochcalli Elementary Chicago, IL	Melody Means Wyatt Academy Denver, CO

* Polk Bros Foundation scholarship recipient.

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