This study investigates principal`s turnover conditioning factors and impacts in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro from 2005 to 2015. In Rio de Janeiro´s public school system principals are assigned to elementary schools through election procedures that take place every three years.  In 2009, the municipality has adopted new policies that have increased pressure on school principals including: high stakes school accountability policy (i.e. bonus payment), support programs for low performing schools and exams requirements for teachers to be eligible for principals’ elections (KOSLINSKI; PORTELA; ANDRADE, 2014). The paper observes the patterns of principals’ turnover before and after the introduction of school accountability policies in Rio de Janeiro´s school system and investigates whether performance in school assessment systems and pressures from school accountability is associated to principals’ turnover. It also investigates the impact of principals´ change on students’ achievement in low performing schools.

International literature has been pointing out that principals´ turnover is usually associated to labor conditions such as salary, working day, institutional responsibilities, labour stress, principals lack of autonomy, bureaucracy and students demographic characteristics (DeANGELIS; WHITE, 2008; HERTLING, 2001; LADD; ZELLI, 2001; NI; SUN; RORRER, 2013; PAPA, 2007; PARTLOW, 2007; SHEPPARD, 2010).  Moreover, many studies have claimed that school accountability policies have led to increase in principals´ turnover, as an unintended consequence, especially in contexts where school accountability design is not able to adequately measure school effectiveness and, thus, it holds principals accountable for factors beyond their control (LADD, 2001). On one hand, principals’ turnover investigation becomes relevant considering the studies that observe significant variation in principals’ productivity, especially in low SES schools, and positive returns to principals’ experience. On the other hand, schools can benefit from turnover if principals` assessment and accountability policies are able to put pressure on less effective principals and to attract more effective ones (RONFELDT; LOEB; WYCKOFF, 2012)

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