When Austrian school leaders were asked by the 2009 PISA school survey to evaluate various strategies of system governance 53% percent of them considered school inspections in general to be conducive for the advancement of school quality in the education system (see Altrichter, Kemethofer & Leitgöb 2012). But how do they evaluate the specific inspections they have undergone? And do their experiences match the assumptions the inspectorate holds about the functioning of inspections? As a part of the LLP-Project “Impact of school inspection on teaching and learning” an online questionnaire was administered to all (about 700) primary and secondary school principals in the Austrian federal state of Styria. The response rate was about 70 %. The presentation will include data with respect to school leaders’ general satisfaction with inspection, to their evaluation of specific elements and instruments of inspection, and to actions on school and classroom level which have been undertaken as a result of inspection. In particular, it will analyze whether or not the “conceptual model” (see paper by Altrichter, O’Hara, Ehren & McNamara in this symposium) which has been analyzed to underlie the inspection models is reflected by the experiences of school principals.