This paper reports findings from five US schools that were studied as part of the International Successful Principal Project (ISPP) - a project designed to identify the qualities, characteristics and competences of successful principals in different socio-economic circumstances in eight countries. The five US schools reported herein serve elementary students living in different communities confronting challenging circumstances. Using Leithwood and Riehl’s (2005) four core leadership characteristics for successful school improvement to guide the analysis, we found that the principals in these schools not only demonstrated an ability to set directions, help people, redesign the organization and manage the instructional program, they also displayed qualities and skills necessary to address the challenging environments in which their schools are situated. Specifically, they used externally imposed accountability standards to focus the efforts of their school communities on improving student achievement and then, using an ethic of personal and professional care and by distributing authority broadly, they persisted in raising public expectations about what was possible for teachers and learners. In several cases, their concerns and efforts also extended beyond the school’s professional community, as they sought to develop closer relationships with communities outside the school, such as business and civic groups. The findings from these cases have implications for the practice and preparation of principals. Recommendations include strengthening preparation by addressing the core skills for school success, especially as they pertain to high poverty and other challenging communities.

This paper will report on Phase One of a national research project into the impact of leadership on pupil outcomes. The main aims of the study are to (1) establish how much variation in pupil outcomes is accounted for by variation in the types, qualities, strategies and skills of school leadership, and (2) measure both the direct and indirect impact of school leadership upon pupil and teacher outcomes plus school-based and organisational factors. The complexity of the area of study warrants a mixed method approach which offers significant advantages through the use of case studies and qualitative data gathering and analysis, with quantitative (affective, social behavioural and cognitive) measures to increase the understanding of the impacts of and links between leadership and pupil learning.  Having discussed the research design, the paper will summarise the outcomes of analyses of international literature relevant to the project and various national datasets. These analyses focus on the patterns between measures of effectiveness and leadership and management, and fed directly into the selection of 1000 schools (500 primary and 500 secondary), providing a representative cross-section of schools and pupils in terms of social economic status, geographical areas, types of school, sizes of schools, professional life phases, and pupil attainment and background factors. Headteachers and selected key staff in each of these schools form the sample for the initial questionnaire. The paper will conclude with an overview of emergent themes from the questionnaire, and an outline the next phase of the study.