Abstract
Problem statement. Some principals have been more effective than others at exhibiting leadership behaviors pertaining to change and student achievement. It may be advantageous to identify the behaviors exhibited by principals of Distinguished High Schools. (DHS) and Underperforming High Schools (UHS). Effective change agents have been described as being open-minded to change; that is, they have certain traits and behaviors that tend to produce an environment in their organizations that is receptive to and supportive of change. Studies have indicated that leadership characteristics and behaviors are measurable traits that impact a principal's effectiveness in change efforts. Purpose statement. The purpose of this study of public high school principals in California was to identify what differences were found in the leadership qualities, behaviors, and characteristics perceived by principals from Distinguished High Schools (DHS) and those from Underperforming High Schools (UHS). The sample consisted of two comparison groups of high school principals: (1) principals of high schools identified in 1999 by the California Department of Education as Distinguished High Schools, and (2) principals of high schools identified in 1999 by the California Department of Education as Underperforming High Schools. The entire population of sixty-five Distinguished California High Schools and forty-nine Underperforming California High Schools was utilized. All 114 principals were surveyed. Methodology. The research design employed in this survey was an example of descriptive research. The Leadership Profile (TLP), a self-questionnaire survey instrument designed by Marshall Sashkin (1998), was selected to collect data for this study. This research found that there were no significant differences between the two groups of principals in eight out of ten areas of leadership qualities, behaviors, and characteristics identified by The Leadership Profile instrument. However, there were significant differences found in the transactional leadership quality of capable management and in the transformational leadership behavior of communication leadership. Principals of Distinguished High Schools (DHS) scored significantly higher in capable management qualities and communication leadership behaviors on The Leadership Profile than did principals from Underperforming High Schools (UHS). Conclusions. While it is possible, but not conclusive, that a principal's capable management qualities and communication leadership behaviors may be a determining factor in helping a school become a Distinguished High School (DHS). There is no evidence from this study that supports the idea that one or two qualities or behaviors alone can guarantee a school's success. The most noteworthy conclusion that can be drawn from the research is that leadership qualities, behaviors, and characteristics of the selected high school principals were not the determining factors in whether a school was designated as Distinguished or Underperforming.