The Principal Factor: Recent Episodes
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The Principal Factor examines new ways of training and thinking about principals in Indiana's High Schools. It is a five part series produced by WFYI News, with support from the Wallace Foundation.
Principals are often the most important instructional leaders in high schools. Indiana's high school graduation rate is 81 percent. According to the Indiana Youth Institute, that rate rose seven percent in the past three years. However, there are still a lot of low performing high schools in Indiana. In part one of The Principal Factor, Indiana Public Broadcasting's Marianne Holland talks with Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett about his plan to improve principal training and bring new ideas and new people into school administration.
Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett says it's vital that high school students know what's expected of them, as they prepare to enter college and the job market. The push is on to make more Indiana communities economic development centers, and that takes well-educated and motivated young people. In part three of The Principal Factor, WFYI's Sharon Alseth reports on the blossoming relationship between Indiana Schools and the business world.
Most principal training programs in the United States are based at state universities. Universities in Indiana are trying to improve performance by improving the training of principals. Other states are also trying to create more highly trained and responsive principals that are better educational leaders. In part five of The Principal Factor, WFYI's Mary Hartnett takes a look at some of these programs and how they work.
Indiana principals are feeling the demand for greater accountability and student achievement. One public high school in Marion County is embracing change and experimenting with what could become the new standard for more project-based learning. In part four of The Principal Factor, WFYI's Sharon Alseth takes a trip to Decatur Central High School.
The role of high school principals is changing, but perhaps not as much as is the expectation that their students excel. In the second segment of The Principal Factor, WFYI's Sharon Alseth looks at some of the challenges in a new era of how principals are trained and defined.