Objectives and Framework
In recent years the political, professional, and accountability pressures created by incoherent, disjointed, and at times contradictory external policy initiatives are part of the broad environments in which ‘schools and education policy subsist’ (Cohen et al., 2007, p.526) in many systems. Whilst some schools not only survive but also continue to thrive in the face of changing environments, others struggle and falter. Successful leaders navigate accountability policy changes and other transformations from social, economic, cultural, and political influences on schools.

This symposium presents research from the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) involving members from 20+ countries. Researching school leadership amidst a complex, rapidly changing society requires conceptualization and methodologies to be sufficiently robust and dynamic to capture the nuances of the ways that multi-layered influences in society, communities, and schools shape, and are shaped by, what successful principals do.

This symposium presents new ISSPP research findings using the new conceptual framework and comparative, mixed methods research methodology. Specifically, papers in this symposium discuss: 1) how the new conceptualization and methodologies enabled the research to capture the ways in which principals navigate within and between systems and layers of influence to grow and sustain success, and 2) conceptualizations of accountability as a value that contributes to success in student learning, wellness, and quality of life for increasingly diverse students.

Research Questions
RQ1: How appropriate is complexity theory to furthering understandings of successful school leadership, and how will such understandings advance the application of complexity theory in social and comparative research in education?
RQ2: In what ways do diverse socioeconomic, cultural, political systems, and professional contexts at different levels of the education system influence how schools operate to bring about valued educational outcomes, especially those serving high need communities?
RQ3: In what ways, is ‘success’ in schools perceived and measured similarly and/or differently within and across different countries?
RQ4: What are the key enablers and constraints for achieving school ‘success’ in different contexts within and across different countries?
RQ5: How do different key stakeholders within and outside the school community and at different levels of the education system define successful school leadership practices? What similarities and differences can be identified within and across different countries?
RQ6: What similarities and differences can be identified in the values, beliefs, and behaviors of successful school principals across different schools in the same country, and across national cultures and policy contexts?

In seeking to answer the urgent issues of defining how success is achieved and sustained in all schools, and especially those serving high need communities amidst the contemporary uncertainties, the ISSPP research examines school leadership through the lens of ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) which theorizes individual practices and development within the context of various dynamically interacting layers of social and ecological systems to capture the processes and actions in which schools operate, develop, and thrive in an increasingly unpredictable, globalized world.

Methodology
The ISSPP utilizes a comparative, mixed methods design with a variety of data sources in order to bring multiple perspectives to bear in the inquiry (Creswell & Creswell, 2017; Patton, 2002). Sampling features principals who lead successful schools in their communities. Data sources within each case study include semi-structured qualitative interviews with the district/municipality, governors, principal, teachers, parents, and students, and a whole-school teacher survey. The comparative analysis of these data sources within and across different schools and countries (Authors, 2021) enables trustworthiness and enhances rigor (Denzin, 2012).

Session Structure
This session will begin with an overview from the chair followed by four paper presentations and audience discussion.

Cohen, D.K., Moffitt, S.L., & Goldin, S. (2007) Policy and practice: the dilemma. American Journal of Education, 113 (4), 515-548.