This study examines the role of principals in highly successful elementary schools serving primarily students from low-income homes in influencing two factors viewed as foundational for a school in which social justice is more than simply an abstract ideal: (1) development of early literacy for every child, and (2) avoidance of overidentification and inappropriate placement in special education. Findings discussed include three areas of common beliefs and concomitant practices among the principals of schools in the study: (1) promoting a democratic culture; (2) adopting a prescriptive approach to literacy and academic success; and (3) demonstrating a stubborn persistence in “getting there.”
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