Relationships between Measures of Leadership and School Climate.

Abstract

Introduction Education leadership is possibly the most important single determinant of an effective learning environment. Change leaders must understand procedures and processes that create the conditions necessary for organizational improvement. Skilled leaders correctly envision future needs and empower others to share and implement that vision. Building principals must be able to assess and evaluate the impact and perceptions of their leadership styles. Fullan (2002) points out that Only principals who are equipped to handle a complex, rapidly changing environment can implement the reforms that lead to sustained improvement in student (p. 16). Indeed, principals must deal with the various levels of skills and abilities of their faculty and a continuity of divergent situations within today's complex school environment. Bolman and Deal (1991) describe the balance between leadership and management. Organizations which are overmanaged but underled eventually lose any sense of spirit or purpose. Poorly managed organizations with strong charismatic leaders may soar temporarily only to crash shortly thereafter. The challenges of modern organizations require the objective perspective of the manager as well as the brilliant flashes of vision and commitment that wise leadership provides. (pp. xiii-xiv) Because schools have become very complex organizations, principals must move beyond occasional brilliant flashes to methods of continuous improvement. The variables associated with improved student achievement have been a focus of researchers for many years. Now, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has significantly increased the pressure to improve student achievement. Waters, Marzano, and McNulty (2004) reported that effective school leadership substantially boosts student achievement. School climate, leadership, and quality instruction are frequently associated with effective schools. In this study, we investigated the relationships between selected dimensions of leadership and measures of school climate. In addition, principals' perceptions of their own leadership styles were compared with teachers' perceptions of their principals' leadership styles. Leadership Researchers have attempted to quantify the leadership process and establish relationships between dimensions of leadership, school climate, teacher effectiveness, and student learning (Deal & Peterson, 1990; Maehr, 1990; Waters, et al. 2004). Early research by Brookover (1979), Edmonds (1979), and Rutter, Maughn, Mortimore, and Ouston (1979) found that correlates of effective schools include strong leadership, a climate of expectation, an orderly but not rigid atmosphere, and effective communication. These researchers and others suggest that the presence or absence of a strong educational leader, the climate of the school, and attitudes of the teaching staff can directly influence student achievement. Research has related effective school leadership to significant increases in student achievement. Waters, Marzano, and McNulty (2004) conducted a meta analysis of 70 studies on education leadership and established 21 leadership responsibilities that are significantly related to higher levels of student achievement. Blake and Mouton (1985) indicated that leaders who fully understand leadership theory and improve their ability to lead are able to reduce employee frustration and negative attitudes in the work environment. As instructional leaders, principals can foster an understanding of the school vision, facilitate implementation of the mission, and establish the school climate. Ubben and Hughes (1992) stated that principals could create a school climate that improves the productivity of both staff and students and that the leadership style of the principal can foster or restrict teacher effectiveness. Hersey and Blanchard (1988) discussed leadership in relationship to several factors: preferred style of leadership, maturity of followers, expectations of followers, and task at hand. …

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