States can invest in the development of high-quality principals by establishing strong preparation standards for administrators. States and the federal government can invest in the development of high-quality principals who work to include teachers in decision-making and foster positive school cultures. Effective principal preparation programs are fundable under Title II of ESSA, as are principal mentoring and professional development opportunities to continuously hone effective school leadership skills throughout the career. States and districts can apply for funds from ESSA’s School Leader Recruitment and Support Program, which authorizes competitive grants to recruit and train principals for high-need schools.

States and districts can survey teachers to assess the quality of the teaching and learning environment and to guide improvements. One example is the Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL) survey, with questions—about a school’s culture, a principal’s leadership, and relationships among colleagues—that are strong predictors of teachers’ job satisfaction and career plans.⁴⁵ This can be supported through Title II of ESSA.

States and the federal government can incentivize professional development strategies and the redesign of schools to provide for greater collaboration. Systematic and sustained collaboration among teachers requires changes in scheduling and resource allocation so that teachers have the time necessary for productive collaboration, which improves teacher efficacy and retention. Districts and schools should update school design, scheduling, and the allocation of resources in order to provide teachers with the time necessary for productive collaboration.⁴⁶

45 Susan M. Johnson, Matthew A. Kraft, and John P. Papay, “How Context Matters in High-Need Schools: The Effects of Teachers’ Working Conditions on Their Professional Satisfaction and Their Students’ Achievement,” Teachers College Record 114, no. 10 (2012): 1–39.

46 Lois Brown Easton, “From Professional Development to Professional Learning,” Phi Delta Kappan 89, no. 10 (2008): 755. See also, Linda Darling-Hammond, The Flat World and Education: How America’s Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future (New York, NY: Teachers College Press, 2010): 229; Karen Seashore Louis, Helen M. Marks, and Sharon Kruse, “Teachers’ Professional Community in Restructuring Schools,” American Educational Research Journal 33, no. 4 (1996): 757–798.