Strengthening Principal Preparation Through On-The-Job Training: Insights from KIPP's Strategies for Developing Assistant Principals as School Leaders

As KIPP has grown to become the largest charter school network in the country, the organization has greatly expanded its pipeline of new principals. KIPP’s rapid growth over the last two decades created an enormous need for strong principals to lead its schools. Similar to the approach used by school districts, KIPP identifies principal candidates in its schools primarily from a talent pool of assistant principals. But KIPP has also instituted a number of strategies that effectively turn the assistant principal experience into a structured program for developing the skills required to serve as a school’s top administrator.