| This research study investigated the problem that results when standards based reform tied to high stakes testing does not attend to the fact that students from high poverty high minority schools may not experience the same opportunity to learn as their wealthier counterparts. The purpose of the study was to explore the extent to which a principal of an academically successful school reflected transformative leadership characteristics while sustaining high academic achievement for an economically disadvantaged high minority student population. Guided by the theory of transformative leadership, the researcher employed a qualitative case study which sought to respond to research questions aimed at ascertaining the characteristics, perspectives, and behaviors exhibited by a principal of an academically successful high poverty high minority school. Data were collected through an open ended structured interview protocol utilized in one on one interviews with the study site's principal and assistant principals, a focus group and a document analysis of relevant school and community documents.;Data analysis revealed major findings aligned to three distinct themes: (a) Principal Expectation -- All Students Will Succeed, (b) Kids Come First, and (c) School and Community Connectedness.;The conclusions drawn from the research findings presented in Chapter 4 and discussed in Chapter 5 are: (1) In order to grasp a full understanding of the potential impact of transformative leadership practices on educational leadership, the essential characteristics of transformative leadership and its focus on social justice must be explicitly taught to school leaders; (2) Clearly communicated student centered expectations create a culture that doesn't accept, allow, or breed inequitable practices; and (3) Transformative leadership overlays or coincides with effective leadership practices found in the literature. Implications for future research include the development of a more in depth instrument and the engagement of a multiple case study involving schools that have both a greater degree of poverty and a longer history of academic success. |
