| Research investigating the emotional intelligence of school leaders is truly limited. This dissertation contributes to the emotional intelligence and school leadership literature by identifying behaviors of leaders of high performing high poverty middle schools in Virginia. Through identification of these behaviors, educators can begin to explore the Effect of emotionally intelligent leaders on a school's success.; A qualitative mode of inquiry was used for the research. Five schools were selected using a purposeful random sample. School leaders were representative of rural, urban and suburban communities. Both male and female leaders were studied, and leaders represented a wide range of age. Two interviews were conducted at each school. Focus group sessions were held at each school and included faculty and parents. Finally, each administrative team was shadowed to add to the data.; Results indicated leaders in these high performing, high poverty middle schools demonstrated emotionally intelligent characteristics. As evidenced by the data, the human relations element played an important role in the overall effectiveness of the school. The link between leaders' emotional intelligence and attribution to the school's accreditation rating is uncertain and will require further investigations. |
