The relative impact of principal managerial, instructional, and transformational leadership on student achievement in Missouri middle level schools

This study examined the relationship of three factors of principal leadership, managerial, instructional, and transformational. A total of 133 middle level public schools in Missouri were included in the study. This study was part of a larger study of middle level education being conducted by the Middle Level Leadership Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Two survey forms were used to collect data for this study. A total of 849 teachers responded to a survey that collected data about their perceptions of principal effectiveness in one factor of principal managerial leadership and two factors of principal instructional leadership. A total of 854 teachers responded to a survey that collected data about their perceptions of principal transformational leadership. Data from the surveys were aggregated and analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlations, analyses of variance, and multiple regression equation estimates. Student achievement data were obtained from the spring 2006 administration of the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests in Communication Arts and Mathematics. The study found significant correlations among all nine factors of principal leadership. There were significant differences in principal leadership factor ratings when schools were grouped by student achievement. School demographic factors for SES,