| The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of the Missouri Leadership Academy on improving a principal's ability to be an effective leader as perceived by superintendents, self, and teachers. Constructs of research pertaining to the study included leadership, effective leadership, professional development for leaders, and academies.; In this study, the researcher administered the Leadership Practices Inventory developed by Kouzes and Posner (1995) to 37 Missouri principals, their superintendents, and a random selection of teachers. The LPI identified five key leadership practices: challenging the process, inspiring a shared vision, enabling others to act, modeling the way, and encouraging the heart. The data collected were analyzed to compare participants in each of the five leadership areas as perceived by self, managers, and followers.; The findings of the study suggest that teachers and superintendents perceived principals who participated in the Missouri Leadership Academy as more effective in the area of challenging the process and inspiring a shared vision. The other three leadership practices were found to parallel, regardless of participation in the academy. |
