Introduction

In this paper we present a cross-case analysis of principal leadership in six high-poverty middle and elementary schools in a state in the southeastern United States. This study was conducted under the auspices of the International Successful School Principals’ Project (ISSPP) (Day & Leithwood, 2007; Jacobson & Day, 2007; Ylimaki & Jacobson, 2011). Consistent with other US-based ISSPP teams (e.g. Jacobson, Johnson, Ylimaki, & Giles, 2005), our research centered on principals whose high-poverty schools have realized demonstrative improvements in academic achievement under their tenure. We employed a mixed-methods approach to select the principals. Next, using interview protocols, questionnaires and analysis frameworks developed by the ISSPP (Day, 2010), our team adopted a multi-perspective approach to identify the particular leadership practices and beliefs which led to increased student achievement and reduced the achievement gaps in these schools. Our findings highlight the leadership practices and beliefs that influenced student achievement and reduced achievement gaps in these diverse, high-poverty, rural schools. Our discussions explore the relationship between the principals’ values and leadership practices, and their unique school contexts. We conclude our paper with implications for practice and further research.

Background

Decades of research have determined that principal leadership can have a significant, if indirect, effect on student learning (Hallinger, & Heck, 1996; Marzano, Walters, & McNulty, 2005; Robinson, Lloyd, & Rowe, 2008). Leithwood, Harris, and Hopkins (2008) and Louis, Leithwood, Wahlstrom, & Anderson (2010) expanded upon earlier research (Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Walstrom, 2004; Leithwood & Riehl, 2005) to develop four categories of practices central to successful school leadership. These categories are: building vision and setting direction; understanding and developing people; redesigning the organization; and managing the teaching and learning program. However, as noted in Leithwood et al. (2008), it is not the practices themselves, but the manner in which leaders apply these practices in concert with their unique environments, which determines the degree to which they influence student learning.

In the US, a great deal of research is currently centered on leadership in urban schools (Bryk, Sebring, Allensworth, Luppescu, & Easton, 2010; Portin et al., 2009). While this focus is warranted, less attention has been paid to leadership in rural schools, such as those found in the southeastern US. In addition to facing the same challenges as urban school leaders, such as attracting and retaining highly-qualified teachers, and providing sufficient support for traditionally underserved students (Venezia, 2006), principals in rural schools often face additional challenges supporting student achievement (Starr & White, 2008).

Despite the numerous challenges faced by principals in South Carolina’s rural, high-poverty schools, some principals have been able to enhance student academic achievement, and even reduce academic achievement gaps. The practices of these principals could provide valuable insight for other principals in rural schools. Yet, they are not currently being documented. As a result of this paucity of research (Morris & Monroe, 2009), our team investigated successful school leadership in six schools across our state. In this paper, we present findings from our cross-case analysis of these schools. 

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