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Teacher turnover is a challenge for U.S. public schools. Research suggests that teachers 'perception of their school working conditions influence their leaving decisions. Related research suggests that principals may be in the best position to influence school working conditions. Using 4 years of panel data constructedfrom the North Carolina Teacher Working Condition Survey, this study uses valueadded modeling approaches to explore the relationship between teachers 'perceptions of four measures of their working conditions and their principal. It finds that teacher ratings of the school environment depend on which principal is leading the school, independent of other school and district contextual factors, suggesting districts struggling with teacher turnover should assess climate and use that information to advise and support principals.

Using data from seven cohorts of language immersion lottery applicants in a large, urban school district, we estimate the causal effects of immersion programs on students' test scores in reading, mathematics, and science and on English learners' (EL) reclassification. We estimate positive intentto-treat (ITT) effects on reading performance in fifth and eighth grades, ranging from 13% to 22% of a standard deviation, reflecting 7 to 9 months of learning. We find little benefit in terms of mathematics and science performance but also no detriment. By sixth and seventh grade, lottery winners' probabilities of remaining classified as EL are 3 to 4 percentage points lower than those of their counterparts. This effect is stronger for ELs whose native language matches the partner language.

Research has demonstrated that students in dual‐language immersion programs perform as well as, or better than, their peers in core academic content areas by late elementary school. However, the extent to which immersion education fosters bilingualism has received less attention in the literature. Using data from a four‐year efficacy study of dual‐language immersion education in the Portland Public Schools in Oregon, this study reports the skill levels that 1,284 dual‐language immersion students achieved in their classroom partner languages (Spanish, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese) between third and eighth grades. The authors found that by eighth grade, the average dual‐language immersion student, regardless of language, performed at least at the Intermediate Low sublevel, and often higher, on Standards‐Based Measurement of Proficiency assessments of nearly all language skills tested (listening, reading, writing, and speaking). In comparison, eighth graders in the Portland Public Schools who began taking Spanish as an elective in upper elementary or middle school scored only at about the Novice Mid sublevel. After four years of immersion learning (grades K­–3), fourth‐grade students whose home language was Spanish scored similarly in reading and speaking to their immersion peers whose home language was not Spanish; however, they outperformed their immersion peers in listening and writing. Video and Discussion

Objectives. We assessed whether 2 types of public housing—scattered among market-rate housing developments or clustered in small public housing projects—were associated with the perceived health and health behaviors of residents’ social networks. Methods. Leveraging a natural experiment in Montgomery County, Maryland, in which residents were randomly assigned to different types of public housing, we surveyed 453 heads of household in 2011. We asked residents about their own health as well as the perceived health of their network members, including their neighbors. Results. Residents in scattered-site public housing perceived that their neighbors were more likely to exercise than residents of clustered public housing (24.7% of network members vs 14.0%; P < .001). There were no significant differences in the proportion of network members who were perceived to have major health problems, depressed mood, poor diet, or obesity. Having more network members who smoked was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of smoking. Conclusions. Different types of public housing have a modest impact on the health composition of one’s social network, suggesting the importance of housing policy for health.

Given the focus on accountability in education, stakeholders are interested in evaluating whether efforts aimed at improving school leadership show results; the key criteria are student outcomes. This report describes challenges that states, districts, and other entities can expect to encounter as they evaluate efforts targeting school leadership as a way to improve student outcomes and offers suggestions for dealing with those challenges.

Objectives. In a survey of families living in public housing, we investigated whether caretakers’ social networks are linked with children’s health status. Methods. In 2011, 209 children and their caretakers living in public housing in suburban Montgomery County, Maryland, were surveyed regarding their health and social networks. We used logistic regression models to examine the associations between the perceived health composition of caretaker social networks and corresponding child health characteristics (e.g., exercise, diet). Results. With each 10% increase in the proportion of the caretaker’s social network that exercised regularly, the child’s odds of exercising increased by 34% (adjusted odds ratio = 1.34; 95% confidence interval = 1.07, 1.69) after the caretaker’s own exercise behavior and the composition of the child’s peer network had been taken into account. Although children’s overweight or obese status was associated with caretakers’ social networks, the results were no longer significant after adjustment for caretakers’ own weight status. Conclusions. We found that caretaker social networks are independently associated with certain aspects of child health, suggesting the importance of the broader social environment for low-income children’s health.

Staff turnover is an issue faced by public school districts throughout the nation, especially those districts and schools serving the poorest and the lowest performing students. Staff turnover at any level of the education hierarchy can threaten continuity for school and district staff. In the United States 15 percent of superintendents, 23 percent of principals, and 16 percent of teachers do not return to their placements from one school year to the next. This dissertation is comprised of three essays each of which explores a different perspective on public school district staff turnover. The first essay uses quantitative models, which include both principal and school fixed effects to show that teacher ratings of the school environment, known to be associated with teacher mobility decisions, depend on the principal, independent of other school and district contextual factors. The second essay, using administrative records data creates a panel data set of the employment history of high school principals in North Carolina and Ohio to show that their past job experience predicts their subsequent turnover risk. The third essay combines data from 26 interviews of district superintendents, central office staff, and principals with 18 years of public school employment history data from Ohio. Using mixed methods, it provides insights on how superintendent turnover impacts district principals and staff at the district's central office.

Policymakers and funders are increasingly recognizing the central role that principals play in supporting and ensuring high-quality teaching in schools. This realization has piqued interest in efforts to improve the principalship and a desire to evaluate the effectiveness of such efforts. Throughout our evaluation of the New Leaders program, we have grappled with a number of conceptual and practical challenges described in this report. We do not provide a neat answer or a single “best practice” that can be applied by all stakeholders in all circumstances. The evaluation of efforts that target principals presents unique challenges. The nature of those

Effective school leaders are a critical component of what makes a school successful. The role that school principals and other leaders play in improving the performance of schools is a burgeoning field of research. State and district policymakers, as well as other organizations, such as foundations and nonprofits, are emphasizing efforts targeting school leadership as a way to improve student outcomes. Given the focus on accountability in education, policymakers and funders are keenly interested in evaluating whether efforts aimed at improving school leadership result in improved student learning. The efforts designed to improve school leadership include a wide range of