This study investigated the relationship between high school principals' leadership style and teacher efficacy. A mixed method study was conducted using an online survey of current public high school teachers in southeastern Michigan. The quantitative portions of the survey consisted of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale TES, short form (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk-Hoy, 2001) and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Avolio & Bass, 2004). Investigation of correlations, if any, were calculated by using Pearson's "r" to understand the aspects of a transformational leadership style that were correlated to high teacher self-efficacy. A factor analysis and reliability investigation indicated that the data generated with the chosen instruments was highly reliable for measuring principals' leadership style and teacher efficacy. Finally, in the qualitative part of the survey, study participants provided answers to an open-ended question about the single most negative factor impacting teacher self-efficacy in today's schools. All teachers' self-efficacy mean scores on a Likert-type scale of 1 to 5 on the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TES), short form, ranged from 3.25 to 5, indicating relatively high to high sense of self-efficacy. There were no participants whose self-efficacy mean scores ranged from 1 and>3.25, indicating a relatively low to low self-efficacy rating. Weak to moderate positive correlations were found between teachers with relatively high to high self-efficacy ratings and principals who have transformational leadership styles, especially the characteristic of Intellectual Stimulation. Because all teachers rated their sense of self-efficacy to be relatively high to high, and with no data available to compare relatively low to low scores and principals' leadership style, the data regarding the existence of a relationship between the variables was inconclusive, and the null hypothesis was accepted. No significant relationship exists between high school principals' leadership styles and teacher self-efficacy. In the qualitative portion of the survey instrument, teachers responded to an open-ended question about negative impacts on their sense of efficacy in schools. Comments were analyzed and grouped into themes that included governmental mandates, regulations, and budget cuts; quality of school administration; and parent and community perceptions of education. In general, teachers want to feel valued by parents, the community and the public; they look to their principals for support, guidance, consistency, and acknowledgement. Finally, the mandates and legislative changes that have taken place in Michigan have had a negative impact on teachers' self-efficacy. These responses provided greater understanding of the opinions of the teacher participants in this study. The results of this study have implications for leadership at the district and building level. Building principals who have a transformational leadership style are more likely to foster teachers with high self-efficacy ratings; this, in turn, creates an environment for higher levels of student achievement. It is important that district-level leaders hire transformational leaders and encourage such approaches in existing principals through focused professional development. This study's results have implications for principal preparation programs, encouraging courses that support the development of transformational leadership skills and recognizing the research-based connection to leadership style and high teacher self-efficacy.

This qualitative study explored possible connections between school principals' leadership styles and behaviors and closing the student achievement gap at three schools serving high poverty student populations. Two of the three schools were high schools designated as Priority Schools in 2012 as a result of student achievement that ranked in the bottom 5% of all Michigan schools. The two schools managed to exit the Priority designation in 2017 after implementing school culture and instruction reforms that improved student achievement. The third school was a K-8, which was not designated as a Priority School. It had the same student demographics as the Priority Schools, and it is located in the same district as one of them. It was added to the study to reinforce the data. The researcher conducted 17 interviews. A bottom-up inductive coding approach was adopted for the qualitative data analysis. The researcher assigned emerging themes specific and meaningful codes relevant to the topic and purpose of the study. Based on the data from the three schools, a possible connection between school leadership and closing the student achievement gap was found. The three principals adopted practices and behaviors relevant to multiple leadership styles. They did not limit themselves to only one leadership style or a set of behaviors. The two Priority School principals had to undo the negative impact of the former toxic culture. The three principals instituted a positive school culture based on trust, respect, collaboration, and accountability. They indirectly impacted student achievement by improving the schools' culture and climate and enhancing the curriculum, instruction, assessment, and data-driven interventions. They worked with all the stakeholders to align and streamline all the efforts and programs into well-coordinated plans and established common language and practices regarding teaching and learning. They involved all the teachers in the decision making about teaching and learning.

What are the direct and indirect influences of principals on student achievement? How do successful principals motivate others? What kinds of relationships do they have with parents, students, and staff? Principals and Student Achievement identifies 26 essential traits and behaviors of effective principals to show how they achieve success as instructional leaders. Based on a review of 81 key research articles from the last 20 years, this concise book examines how certain practices can affect student achievement, including: * Communication and interaction * Classroom observation and feedback to teachers * Recognition of student and staff achievement * Dedication to a safe and orderly school environment * Support of professional development of staff * Role modeling The book also reviews differences in instructional leadership between elementary and secondary principals, male and female principals, principals in high- and low-socioeconomic-status schools, and more. We all know that principals are important to student success, but few people have pinpointed exactly how they make a positive difference. At a time when principals are being asked to do more for school reform and accountability, Principals and Student Achievement provides a valuable resource for identifying what it takes to be an effective principal and, in turn, an effective school. Note: This product listing is for the Adobe Acrobat (PDF) version of the book.

This quantitative study addressed the idea that a middle school principal could possibly impact teacher effectiveness in the classroom through the relationship of the teacher- perceived leadership style of the principal to teacher job satisfaction and efficacy. The sample consisted of 142 certified teachers from 8 public middle schools in an East Tennessee school district. Teachers completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, (Bass & Avolio, 2004) and the Job Satisfaction Survey, (Spector, 1994). Findings from this study suggest that the middle school teachers' perceptions of their principal's leadership did not have a statistically significant relationship to teacher job satisfaction. A new insight from this study suggests that principals should find ways to lead beyond teacher perceptions to address the needs of teachers in order to promote and encourage higher levels of teacher job satisfaction. Furthermore, findings from this study suggest that the middle school teachers' perceptions of their principal's leadership style had a statistically significant relationship to teacher efficacy. Findings from the exploratory question at the end of the surveys further validated this study by indicating teachers perceived their need for principal leadership to help them become more effective in the classroom by incorporating elements of both transformational and transactional leadership. This research may assist in developing leadership style training for principals desiring to indirectly influence academic achievement by influencing teacher job satisfaction and efficacy within their schools.

School principals are continually searching for leadership practices that have the potential to directly enhance adult behavior and indirectly and positively influence student achievement. Previous research has indicated that a positive and statistically significant relationship exists between collective teacher efficacy beliefs and principal transformational leadership practices (Demir, 2008; Ninkovic & Floric, 2018; Prelli, 2016; Ross & Gray, 2006). In addition, schools characterized by higher levels of collective teacher efficacy have demonstrated higher levels of student achievement. Previous studies of collective teacher efficacy have focused on group outcomes based on the levels of collective efficacy beliefs held by the teacher's studied. However, the research examining the relationship between specific leadership practices associated with transformational leaders that may develop and/or strengthen collective teacher efficacy beliefs has been minimal. The purpose of this study was to examine whether principal transformational leadership practices statistically significantly predicted collective teacher efficacy beliefs amongst K-12 teachers, while taking the contextual conditions of building level and teacher experience into consideration. Participants consisted of voluntary educators from one school district serving five elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. A total of 233 participants completed the Educational Leadership Survey, Collective Efficacy Scale: Short Form, and demographic questionnaire. Results from the hierarchical linear multiple regression indicated that transformational leadership practices, when taken collectively with the demographic variables of building level and teacher experience, statistically significantly predicted collective efficacy beliefs in teachers. The positive and statistically significant relationship between transformational leadership practices and collective teacher efficacy beliefs indicated that as transformational leadership practices increase, so does collective efficacy beliefs in teachers. The results of this study provide practical applications to the daily work of principals in the implementation of targeted transformational leadership practices that are the strongest predictors of collective efficacy beliefs of teachers.