High Stakes,Student Achievement,and Elementary Principals’ Job Satisfaction: An Empirical Study of the Reform State of California

Abstract

Recognizing the inherent tension of leading for change amid the current reform environment, this study focused squarely on the relationship between public elementary school principals’ perceptions of job satisfaction and student achievement data from high-stakes, test-based accountability measures To quantify this relationship, the present study regressed principals’ satisfaction ratings on building-level achievement, principal characteristics, and organizational characteristics. Results from the regression procedure indicated that the variables addressed failed to control for principals’ self-ratings of job satisfaction Research implications are provided in light of these findings.

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