Factors that Contribute to the Success of Secondary School Principals

Over the past few years the principalship has been under much scrutiny because of the increasing demand on school principals to raise the academic achievements of their students. The role of the secondary school principal has become very critical, thus in her book Factors that Contribute to the Success of Principals, Dinah Larbi synthesizes research to identify different types of behaviors which make secondary school principals successful. Guided by a qualitative research design, data were collected through individual interview with several principals. Conclusions from the resulting emerging themes suggest that successful principals are visionary instructional leaders who promote student learning and support teachers through collaboration. This book is a great asset to secondary school principals because it clearly delineates upon the necessary qualities which make them successful. A balanced view is also presented by examining issues which impinge on principals' effectiveness. Hence, principals are presented with effective strategies which support the engagement of stakeholders like the Teachers' Union and other constituencies.