Advancing Middle Level Leadership: Middle School Principal Preparation Programs and Approaches to Leadership

Middle school principals are essential to creating a successful learning environment. They should possess expertise in adolescent development, foster a diverse and equitable school community, and invest in teacher development. This review searched, organized, and analyzed the literature between 2019 and 2024 specifically regarding middle school principal preparation programs and leadership approaches. We sought to identify any alignment with the leadership and organization characteristics outlined in the Association of Middle Level Education’s The Successful Middle School: This We Believe framework The findings revealed a slight relationship between principal preparation programs and the leadership and organizational characteristics outlined by Bishop and Harrison. Our findings also revealed that many states lack specific credentialing requirements for middle school principals. To strengthen the field of middle school education, specifically principal preparation, further research will help educational leaders align their practices with middle school characteristics and advocate for the required credentials in this field.