Historically, Native American students have lagged far behind their non-Native peers in education achievement. While no consensus exists in the research of effective school reform efforts, one factor does surface in report after report—strong school leadership. This qualitative case study analyzed data from in-depth interviews with four Native American school principals who recently completed an education leadership program designed for leaders of schools that serve Indian students either on or off the reservation. Based on Brayboy's (2006) TribalCrit theoretical framework, the analysis revealed themes related to the importance of having a Native American principal, understanding and being committed to the local and community values, and sorting out those Western schooling ideas that are not compatible to Indian cultures.
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