A Descriptive Analysis of the Principal Workforce in Wisconsin

This study responds to a request from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for information on Wisconsin's school principal workforce population. Descriptive analyses addressed two research questions: (1) How do the demographic characteristics of Wisconsin school principals compare how did these characteristics change over 1999-2009?; and (2) How does the eight-year retention rate for a cohort of new Wisconsin principals from 2000 to 2002 compare with the retention rate of returning Wisconsin principals? Data were gathered for the 11 academic years from 1999 to 2009 from the Wisconsin public school personnel and certification databases. The sample consisted of 1,703 principals and 59,803 teachers in 1999. A cross-sectional analysis was used to describe principal and teacher demographic characteristics. The following are key findings: (1) The majority of Wisconsin principals in 2009 were male, but the percentage of female principals increased 7.1 percentage points, from 35.5 percent in 1999 to 42.6 percent in 2009; (2) The majority of Wisconsin teachers in 2009 were female, and the percentage of female teachers increased 4.1 percentage points, from 69.5 percent in 1999 to 73.6 percent in 2009; (3) The majority of Wisconsin principals and teachers in 2009 were White, but the percentage of racial/ethnic minority principals increased 0.7 percentage point, from 6.6 percent in 1999 to 7.3 percent in 2009, and the percentage of racial/ethnic minority teachers increased 0.4 percentage point, from 3.9 percent in 1999 to 4.3 percent in 2009; (4) The average age of the Wisconsin principal workforce fell 0.5 year, from 48.6 years in 1999 to 48.1 years in 2009, and the average age of teachers did not change, remaining at 43.0 years; (5) The majority of Wisconsin principals in 2009 held a master's degree, and the percentage of principals and teachers who held a master's degree increased from 1999 to 2009. The percentage of principals holding a master's degree increased 2.8 percentage points, from 84.2 percent in 1999 to 87.0 percent in 2009, and the percentage of teachers holding a master's degree increased 13.4 percentage points, from 36.3 percent in 1999 to 49.7 percent in 2009; and (6) After eight years, 43.7 percent of the new principal cohort and 46.1 percent of the comparison cohort remained principals. Annual attrition rates for new principals ranged from 9.0 percentage points to 13.4 across the eight years, while annual attrition rates for comparison principals ranged from 8.8 percentage points to 12.0. Appended are: (1) Background literature on principal demographic characteristics and retention; (2) Data sources and analysis; and (3) Supplemental tables on the demographics of Wisconsin principals and teachers. (Contains 2 boxes, 6 figures, 14 tables and 7 notes.) [For "A Descriptive Analysis of the Principal Workforce in Wisconsin. Summary. Issues & Answers. REL 2012-No. 135," see ED530570.]