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This paper highlights the successful efforts of one state, Maryland, to strategically select and train its most promising future leaders in order to prepare them for the leadership responsibilities associated with leading schools that have increased expectations for all students. Under the leadership of the governor's office, and with support from the legislature and the State Board of Education, Maryland's Department of Education created a principal talent development program that annually prepares nearly 50 new leaders for its 24 public school districts. The program relies upon the existing talent in the state, including current and former principals, as well as some state resources, to connect promising principals with veteran principals through a structured learning and networking experience. The program helps to solve a decades-old challenge by building a pool of qualified candidates who are ready to lead schools. Through this project, Maryland has effectively constructed a pipeline for promising candidates out of experiences and support systems that most candidates need before they can become effective in their new roles.

The role of the public school principal has expanded dramatically in recent decades. The expanded role means they are now significant multipliers of effective teaching and have a real opportunity to affect student achievement. Most states have spent recent years working to improve teacher effectiveness, recognizing its importance in improving student outcomes. States have focused considerably less on principals as levers for school improvement, however, research on the importance of school principals in advancing student learning is compelling. Governors have authority over principal preparation programs in their state and are uniquely positioned to address gaps in the systems that influence aspiring and current school leaders at the state and local school district levels. "Promising Practices in Boosting School Leadership Capacity: Principal Academies" explores principal academies--a tool that governors can add to their policy toolkit to augment preparation and training for aspiring and sitting public school principals.