Richard Faidley Dr.

Principal Leadership and Student Success: Characteristics of Principal Leadership and Their Effects Richard Faidley Dr.

As the national education agenda continues to require that all students meeteducational standards, certain pressures are being placed on school leaders. A researchsynthesis on effective school leadership indicates that improving instruction and learning isa direct responsibility of the school principal. The No Child Left Behind legislation passed by the United States Congress andsigned into law by President Bush requires states to implement standards-basedassessments and provides punitive measures to those states and schools that do not showAdequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as evidenced by student performance. In somesituations, the Arizona Department of Education has assumed control over schooldistricts failing to make Adequate Yearly Progress. The federal legislation is in effectthrough 2008. Educational leaders are faced with a difficult task. As pressure from the federal and state government increases, so too does the demand from our communities to ensurethat students meet or exceed the state standards. The demand and pressure from the federal, state, and local governments hasimpacted educational leaders. Pressure on school leaders has directly influenced researchin educational leadership.