Interns to Leaders? Assessing Whether Principal Internship Characteristics Predict Entry into the School Administrator Workforce

Using data from 12 public universities in North Carolina over a 4-year period, we assess how principal intern characteristics and internship experiences predict entry into the school leader labor market as an assistant principal. In line with prior research, we found that a sizable number of interns never enter school leadership. Furthermore, using accelerated failure time (AFT) survival analyses, we found that intern characteristics, preparation program type, mentor principal effectiveness, and intern school characteristics were all associated with movement into the assistant principalship. We conclude with limitations of our work and implications for practice, policy, and future research.