States Launch and Lead Principal Registered Apprenticeship Programs

Alexandria, VA – As many districts and schools continue to grapple with school leader turnover and quality gaps, some states have pioneered new principal registered apprenticeship programs. A new NASBE policy update explores how state boards of education leverage a federal principal apprenticeship grant program to strengthen and sustain their own leadership pipelines.

Strong school leaders are associated with building more productive school environments, yet high turnover rates, demands on time, and the cost of certification often discourage potential candidates from pursuing the principalship. Building on the success of teacher apprenticeship programs, principal registered apprenticeships provide candidates with paid, on-the-job experience as assistant principals while they complete coursework through a state-approved educator preparation program, certification, and licensure.

In 2023, the US Department of Labor approved the Principal Registered Apprenticeship Program at the request of leaders and stakeholders in North Dakota and nationally. North Dakota has launched two cohorts since, with measurable success in participation and school leader placement. This year, other states, including Virginia and Alaska, received approval for their own principal registered apprenticeship pilot programs and have begun implementation.

Virginia’s pilot program builds on existing school leadership pipelines efforts to support partnerships between educator preparation programs and local school divisions, while Alaska’s program is focused on meeting the needs of rural Alaska, where travel is difficult and resources are limited.

“[These apprenticeships] are really looking internally at who in our district we can nurture, who are aspiring great leaders, and how we can help them along the way so that we can then keep them within our district and community in a different capacity,” said Laurie Matzke, chief of program development and growth at North Dakota’s Department of Public Instruction.

Read “States Start Up Registered Principal Apprenticeships.”

NASBE serves as the only membership organization for state boards of education. A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, NASBE elevates state board members’ voices in national and state policymaking, facilitates the exchange of informed ideas, and supports members in advancing equity and excellence in public education for students of all races, genders, and circumstances. Learn more at www.nasbe.org.

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