The Relative Impact of Principal Managerial, Instructional, and Transformational Leadership on Student Achievement

Download or read book The Relative Impact of Principal Managerial, Instructional, and Transformational Leadership on Student Achievement written by Michael E. Prater and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study examined the relationships between principal managerial leadership, principal instructional leadership, and principal transformational leadership and student achievement. A total of 131 public high schools in Missouri participated in the study. Demographic information was obtained from the head principals in each of the schools, and 443 teachers completed a survey that measured their perceptions of principal effectiveness in nine factors measuring managerial, instructional, and transformational leadership behaviors. Data from the surveys were aggregated and analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlations, analyses of variance, and multiple regression equation estimates. Student achievement data were obtained from the most recent testing of the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP). The study found significant correlationships among all nine factors of principal leadership. There were significant differences in student achievement on all four subtests of the MAP when schools were grouped according to principal leadership factors. Principal education level positively correlated with all nine factors of principal leadership and the four assessments of student achievement. Principal gender and school socio-economic status also had a positive relationship with student achievement. Principal leadership behaviors promoting instructional and curriculum improvement influenced student achievement, while the principal's ability to identify a vision and provide an appropriate model appeared to have the greatest impact on student achievement. A model of the relationships among the nine principal leadership factors and their relative impact on student achievement scores was developed, and implications for research, practice, and the preparation of educational leaders were discussed.