Evaluating the impact of a principals’ professional development program on school management practices: Evidence from Brazil

Several programs focus on the professional development of school principals by assuming that the quality of management affects the school’s functioning and, therefore, students’ learning. However, little is known about what skills we should develop to translate better school management into proficiency. In this paper, we propose a survey instrument to measure thirteen managerial practices specifically designed to capture variations between schools within a context of scarce resources and limited autonomy. Then, we assess the impact of a school management program (Jovem de Futuro) – with proven effects on students’ proficiency – on these practices, exploiting the program’s phase-in randomization strategy. We find that receiving the program increased the overall management practices index, especially improving the schools’ evaluation processes. Analyzing each dimension separately, we observe that the program affects how principals pursue pre-established targets, use assessments to learn about student learning, identify school leaders, and attribute responsibilities to the school’s management team.