Peabody Journal of Education, Vol. 82, No. 4
Abstract
Revisiting the Importance of the Direct Effects of School Leadership on Student Achievement: The Implications for School Improvement Policy
Stephen M. Nettles
Center for Educational Research and Policy Studies, Florida State University
Carolyn Herrington
College of Education, University of Missouri, Columbia
Much is left to be known regarding the impact of school principals on student achievement. This is because much of the research on school leadership focuses not on actual student outcomes but rather on other peripheral results of principal practices. In the research that has been done in this area, significant relationships have been identified between selected school leadership practices and student learning, indicating that evidence existed for certain principal behaviors to produce a direct relationship with student achievement. Further, although these relationships typically account for a small proportion of the total student achievement variability, they are of sufficient magnitude to be of interest and additional investigation. Actions taken to better understand and improve the impact of principals on the achievement of students in their schools have the potential for widespread benefit, as individual improvements in principal practice can impact thousands of students. It is in this light that potential direct effects of principal practices should be revisited.
About The Author
Stephen Nettles is currently the Director of the Center for Educational Research and Policy Studies at Florida State University. Dr. Nettles was formerly the Director of Research for the Florida Center for Reading Research at Florida State University. He has also worked extensively with school districts across the nation on matters of educational leadership, performance management and related policy issues. The primary focus of his research is on the relationship between school leadership and student achievement.
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