The effects of principals' leadership practices on school climate and student achievement in Title I elementary schools

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of principals' leadership practices on school climate and student achievement in Title I elementary schools. Two school context variables, the percent of students receiving free or reduced lunch and school enrollment, were also examined to determine their effects on overall school climate and student achievement. The target population consisted of 213 teachers in 13 economically disadvantaged schools in a large urban, high-poverty school district. Data were collected using two cross-sectional surveys. The Leadership Practices Inventory-Observer (LPI) (Kouzes & Posner, 2003) was used to assess principals' leadership practices as perceived by teachers. The leadership practices included Challenging the Process, Inspiring a Shared Vision, Enabling Others to Act, Modeling the Way, and Encouraging the Heart. The School Climate Inventory (SCI) (CREP, 2002) was used to assess the climate of the school as perceived by teachers. The school climate dimensions were Order, Leadership, Environment, Involvement, Instruction, Expectations, and Collaboration. Student achievement was determined by using two-year average scores in reading and math on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program Achievement Test for grades three and five. The primary method of analysis was quantitative, using simple and multiple regressions to investigate four research questions. Using the regression model, statistical results revealed that principals' leadership practices accounted for 76.6% variation in overall school climate, 88.7% in Leadership, 86.4% in Collaboration, 81.5% in Environment, and 80.5% in Instruction. Principals' leadership practices did not have a statistically significant impact on Order, Involvement, and Expectations. The results further indicated that principals' leadership practices did not have an effect on reading and math student achievement. Additional statistical analyses revealed that there was not a significant relationship between the school context variables, percent of students receiving free or reduced lunch and enrollment, and overall school climate, reading, and math student achievement. Results suggest that principals do have a significant impact on school climate. Although there was not a statistically significant relationship found between principals' leadership practices and student achievement, principals should continue to exhibit exemplary leadership practices in order to positively impact school climate; thus, leading to increased student achievement.