National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)

This entry presents a brief history of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), with emphasis on the role NAESP has played in national educational reform.

A group of more than 50 principals convened in 1921 to promote the profession and share ideas and formed what became the NAESP. At its inception it was part of the National Education Association. However, in the early 1970s, with the onset of collective bargaining in schools, laws emerged in many states that would not allow administrators to be within the same bargaining unit as the teachers they supervised. As a result, though individuals could remain members of the National Education Association, the majority of the membership determined it was in their best interest for NAESP to become a separate organization. Early on, many schools had what was referred to as a principal teacher with less than 25% of schools in 1946 having full-time administrators, but by 1980, the average was more than one administrator per school. By 2008, NAESP had approximately 30,000 members interested in issues important to PreK–8 principals. Its mission supports [Page 599]and advocates for educational leaders, especially elementary and middle-level principals committed to the education of all children.

NAESP has two concepts central to its fundamental beliefs that were conceived during the researching and writing of Standards for Quality Elementary Schools: Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade. The first concept is that the most crucial years in a student's life are the early ones. This concept has been supported by research, and as a result, the federal government has enacted programs such as Head Start to assist younger children. The second belief has to do with the key role of the principal in the quality of a school, which has also been supported in the literature. This belief is shared with the National Association of Secondary School Principals and has led to a strong focus on ensuring that elementary school principals have the training necessary to lead elementary schools. In 1986, NAESP addressed principal preparation programs with a publication titled Proficiencies for Principals (now in its third edition). It combines research data with best practices to be used as a workbook for growth and acquisition of new skills, which can lead to improving leadership in schools. The intended audience is both principals and university faculty.

Most importantly, as NAESP headed into a new century, it acknowledged the increased role of community stakeholders and the benefits of strategic planning as necessary components for principal success. NAESP specifically addressed the future attributes preferred for principals in their publication Principals for 21st Century Schools. This effort involved a strong collaboration with university professors through NAESP's Organization of Professors of Elementary School Administrators, which they formed in 1985. NAESP forecasted a substantial demographic shift in schools at the turn of the century in the following areas: student population changes caused by increased immigration, poverty among children, and the changing family structure. Another issue addressed was the potential for a large principal turnover, which was estimated to be 60% within 12 years of its publication. The organization wanted to be sure it had a voice in the desired characteristics of the principal-ship and potential future policy initiatives.

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