The Effect of Leadership Change on School Climate

School climate affects student achievement, feelings of safety within the school, and teacher job satisfaction. Concurrently, the principal is often seen as someone with a direct influence on the climate of the school, and therefore someone who has a direct role in shaping these aspects of school climate. Recent data suggests that about one in five principals leaves the profession every year, which means that every year, one in every five schools experiences a change to its climate, and a change to its achievement, safety, and teacher satisfaction. If this trend continues, schools are going to continue to feel the effects of inconsistency in the principalship. Through studying the effect of leadership change on school climate, we can better understand the ways in which climate is impacted by frequent changes in the principalship. Additionally, aspiring principals can learn a lot about the potential impact of their entrance into a school, and thus prepare for a successful transition into their new school and their new profession. Lastly, if administrators are prepared for the change in climate, hopefully they will have more success staying as the principal during those first challenging years