Incentivizing Changes in Principal Preparation: Lessons from North Carolina Principal Fellows Policy

This case study examined the perspectives of educational leadership faculty regarding the Principal Fellows legislation and its influences on the principal preparation landscape in North Carolina. This qualitative inquiry drew from semi-structured interviews with principal preparation program faculty and coordinators. Relatedly, documents relevant to the Principal Fellows legislation and its implementation were collected to confirm and clarify, enabling triangulation in this study. Data analysis proceeded inductively, allowing insights to emerge from the data free from theoretical influences. Four key themes reflected how participants perceived the influences of the policy on preparation programs: (a) centering attention to high-need schools, (b) incentivizing the adoption of evidence-based practices, (c) expanding programs’ capacity through funding, and (d) learning from other programs. The paper concludes with recommendations for policymakers to consider as they seek to improve the quality of principal preparation programs across their states.