Ready but Waiting

The Role of Gender, Race, and Experience in Principal Applications

Bibliographic Data

ID9733682
AuthorsSarah Guthery (0000-0003-3268-9503, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, corresponding author), Lauren P Bailes (0000-0003-3251-0518, University of Delaware, Newark, DE), Elc Estrera (0000-0002-1211-2857, Wake County Public School System, Cary, NC)
Year2026
Publication date2026-02-09
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEducational Researcher (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0013-189X • E-ISSN: 1935-102X
PublisherAmerican Educational Research Association (AERA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.3102/0013189x251401543
OpenAlexW7128504767
LanguageEN
References cited36

Prior studies report racial and gender gaps in the rates at which assistant principals (APs) ascend to the principalship, but data limitations raise uncertainty about the origins of these patterns. Using an administrative data set from a southeastern U.S. urban school district (2014–2022), we examine whether female and non-White APs apply for the principalship at the same points in their careers as their male and White counterparts, respectively. Only 36.8% of all APs submit an application for the principalship, and only 24.1% of APs of color apply, meaning non-White APs are less likely than White APs to ever apply for a principalship. Despite equivalent application rates, women APs tend to have more experience before they submit their first application than do male APs

Data collection · Meaning (existential · Principal (computer security · Race (biology · Set (abstract data type · White (mutation · Collaborative Teaching and Inclusion · Mentoring and Academic Development · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

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