Although the number of experienced administrators (those with more than two years of service) increased in recent years in California, the overall percentage is on a slow decline, according to a new brief from the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools that examined those serving as administrators (primarily superintendents and principals) from the 2019–20 through 2023–24 school years (SY).
For “Who Leads California’s Schools? New Insights from Statewide Administrator Data,” researchers analyzed statewide data about educational administrators published by the California Department of Education (CDE) in July 2025 — the first data released since 2019.
Overall, in 2023–24, there were 28,780 administrators working in the state, up from 26,441 in 2019–20. The number of individuals in the field increased consistently during the period observed.
There were 27,279 experienced administrators working in 2023–24, up from 26,721 the prior year and 25,119 in 2019–20. However, “the overall percentage of experienced administrators declined to 94.78 percent in SY 2023–24,” the brief explains. The most recent high was 95.72 percent in 2020–21.
“Despite the overall increase in the number of experienced administrators, the percentage of experienced administrators has steadily declined since peaking in SY 2020–21. This suggests that while the total workforce of administrators is growing, there are more inexperienced administrators entering the workforce every year,” according to the brief.
Shifts during the pandemic, such as principals leaving their posts and superintendents seeking retirement are potential contributing factors. Research suggests the age of superintendents is also getting younger and salary and pension considerations may be impacting turnover.
There were 1,501 inexperienced administrators (those with two years or less of experience) in 2023–24, up from 1,322 in 2019–20 and pandemic-era slumps in 2020–21 and 2021–22. The percentage of inexperienced administrators was 5.22 percent in 2023–24, up from 5 percent in 2019–20.
Additionally, there were 681 first-year administrators in 2023–24, down from 785 the previous year and 713 in 2019–20.
The field is becoming more diverse, as the number and percentage of administrators of color increased between 2019–20 and 2023–24. “Key findings indicate that Black administrators [2,314 in 2023–24] outnumber Asian administrators [1,437], a pattern that contrasts with both California’s population demographics and the demographic composition of the teacher workforce,” the brief states. White (15,355) and Latine (7,580) were still the primary races of administrators. The percentages of Asian (4.38 percent in 2019–20 versus 4.99 percent 2023–24), Black (7.62 percent versus 8.04 percent) and Latine (23.66 percent versus 26.34 percent) administrators all grew during the period while the percentage of white administrators decreased (57.6 percent versus 53.35).
During the period, the percentage of female administrators consistently rose, from 63.97 percent in 2019–20 to 66.86 percent in 2023–24 while the percentage of men dropped from 36.03 percent to 33.14 percent.
A master’s degree remained the most common credential administrators had (53.24 percent in 2023–24), but the percentage with just a bachelor’s degree increased from 8.86 percent in 2019–20 to 10 percent in 2023–24.
“Although these demographic changes increasingly reflect California’s broader population, it is important to note that the CDE data aggregate all administrative roles,” the brief explains. “National patterns suggest that women are more likely to serve as elementary principals, while men remain disproportionately represented in superintendent positions, suggesting that disaggregated analysis may reveal more unequal leadership pathways than aggregated data alone.”
Recommendations
The following suggestions are outlined in the brief to address challenges around recruitment and retention, diversity, preparation and quality:
- Establishing statewide metrics and goals for a capable, sustainable and diverse school administrator workforce
- Modernizing and standardizing administrator data systems
- Investing in administrator-centered research and needs assessments to complement quantitative data
- Determining explicit state goals to strengthen and diversify leadership pipelines
- Having policymakers address persistent racial and gender disparities across administrative roles
- Assessing long-term impacts of COVID-19 and federal funding shifts on stability and retention
Read more in the brief, which also compares the data to that of the teacher workforce, here.
