Principals’ influence on decisions: Percentage of K–12 school principals who thought they had a major influence on decisions concerning various activities at their school, by school type and selected school characteristics: 2020–21

School type and selected school characteristic	Setting performance standards for students	Establishing curriculum	Determining the content of in-service professional development programs for teachers	Evaluating teachers	Hiring new full-time teachers	Setting discipline policy	Deciding how their school budget will be spent
All principals	61.3	41.2	66.5	90.9	88.7	63.7	57.9

All public school principals	58.7	35.0	63.6	92.9	89.4	60.2	57.6

School classification
Traditional public	57.2	32.8	62.1	92.9	89.4	59.3	57.9
Charter school	72.9	55.8	78.9	92.2	90.2	69.1	54.3

Community type
City	59.8	29.9	64.7	91.0	88.1	55.0	59.8
Suburban	57.1	28.9	59.3	93.2	89.4	57.2	61.1
Town	59.1	42.9	64.1	94.0	91.9	65.4	55.3
Rural	59.2	43.7	67.6	93.9	89.6	66.8	52.2

School level¹
Elementary	59.1	32.3	61.5	93.1	88.3	57.8	58.8
Middle	55.5	30.4	64.6	93.8	93.0	61.4	60.1
Secondary/high	58.9	39.0	66.3	92.1	89.8	61.6	57.2
Combined/other	61.4	50.4	68.6	91.7	89.1	70.5	46.2

Student enrollment
Less than 100	60.7	49.4	66.0	93.0	87.0	65.5	54.0
100–199	60.9	44.2	65.1	91.5	88.1	67.0	49.5
200–499	59.1	36.2	63.1	92.8	87.8	61.7	56.7
500–749	57.3	29.2	62.4	94.1	90.8	59.5	59.3
750–999	60.1	29.5	62.3	92.7	90.7	54.9	59.2
1,000 or more	56.3	29.8	67.6	91.5	94.6	51.2	64.1

Percent of K–12 students who were approved for free or reduced-price lunches
0–34	55.9	33.0	61.1	92.7	91.0	62.8	57.8
35–49	53.6	33.6	62.6	93.2	93.0	60.1	54.9
50–74	60.3	36.8	65.4	93.9	90.7	61.7	56.2
75 or more	61.6	35.9	64.8	92.4	86.5	57.8	59.0

Reported effect of COVID–19 on instruction²
Offering only distance-learning instruction	57.4	31.4	63.0	91.0	85.2	57.3	60.5
Offering a hybrid of in-person and distance-learning instruction	59.0	34.9	63.8	93.6	90.6	60.1	57.4
Offering only in-person instruction or no effect on the instruction offered	59.3	44.5	63.6	91.5	90.1	69.3	51.8

All private school principals	71.5	65.3	77.9	83.2	85.8	77.0	58.9

School classification
Catholic	71.4	62.6	78.0	90.8	93.2	78.3	58.4
Other religious	72.2	69.0	75.8	79.2	79.5	78.1	55.7
Nonsectarian	70.5	61.0	81.7	82.7	89.6	73.4	65.5

Community type
City	72.7	65.4	79.2	86.0	88.0	78.8	62.1
Suburban	78.4	68.1	83.5	87.2	89.0	78.0	58.8
Town	66.5	76.0	82.7	85.2	82.8	77.9	53.9
Rural	61.5	56.5	65.1	71.9	78.4	72.4	56.3

School level¹
Elementary/middle	69.6	63.3	74.9	78.6	81.9	76.4	64.0
Secondary/high	74.4	62.1	77.1	80.9	85.8	75.5	58.5
Combined/other	71.6	66.4	78.8	84.9	86.8	77.4	57.6

Student enrollment
Less than 100	70.2	64.9	72.6	78.8	81.1	76.4	59.1
100–199	71.5	67.7	83.2	90.5	90.0	78.4	57.7
200–499	74.0	63.7	84.0	86.3	90.7	78.0	59.8
500–749	73.4	65.0	77.0	84.5	91.1	77.9	57.1
750 or more	74.2	63.6	77.2	71.7	84.0	65.6	60.3

Reported effect of COVID–19 on instruction²
Offering only distance-learning instruction	75.0	66.2	74.9	87.5	83.4	72.9	56.4
Offering a hybrid of in-person and distance-learning instruction	74.0	66.1	80.2	85.2	89.6	79.0	58.9
Offering only in-person instruction or no effect on the instruction offered	68.2	64.2	75.3	80.3	81.2	75.1	59.1

¹Elementary schools offer at least one grade of K to 4, and the number of elementary grades is higher than the number of middle grades. Middle schools offer at least one of grades 5 to 8, and the number of middle grades is greater than the number of elementary or secondary grades. Secondary/high schools are defined as schools that enroll students in more of grades 9 through 12 than in lower grades. Combined/other schools include all other combinations of grades, including K–12 schools. School level categories in the 2020–21 NTPS differ from those in previous survey administrations; caution should be exercised when comparing estimates by level over time.

²Principals were asked to report the current effect of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on instruction at the school at the time they completed the survey. Thus, this was the reported effect on instruction at the time the survey was completed, not a summary of the school year.

NOTE: Data are weighted estimates of the population. Response options included “no influence,” “minor influence,” “moderate influence,” “major influence,” and “not applicable.” Principals who reported “not applicable” are excluded from the table.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), “Public School Principal and Private School Principal Data Files,” 2020–21.