Investigators randomly selected principals from Virginia's public schools to investigate the sign4ifcant relationship that exists between principal quality and student achievement. Two persons supervising each principal were asked to complete the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC)-based questionnaire about the principal. State achievement test data were entered for each principal's school. Those principals who had been in their schools fewer than 5 years were dropped from the study to better control for principals' effect on student achievement. Results find that principals who were rated higher on school leadership standards have schools with higher student achievement than comparable schools headed by lower-rated principals. Implications for increasing student achievement, professional development, and evaluation are discussed.
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