Principal Leadership in “Beating the Odds” Schools... Advocates for Social Justice and Equity

Abstract

To explore the role that principal leadership plays in shaping school performance, this article draws on data from eight high schools that are “beating the odds” (i.e., they are outperforming expectations and have done so consistently for five or more years). Beating the Odds (BTO) schools were chosen strategically for their ability to produce high rates of learning with challenging student populations. By cultivating the elements of will and capacity, the principals in these BTO schools worked actively to promote organizational commitment and to hold both individual teachers and groups of teachers responsible for learning outcomes. BTO principals effectively recruited, retained, and strengthened their faculties through supervision, professional development, and professional learning communities. Driven by a common commitment to the organization and its goals, and by administrative and professional accountability, teachers and principals created a disciplined environment for learning and implemented a distinctive set of curricular, instructional, and assessment practices.