A Relationship Among Public School Leadership, Ethics, and Student Achievement

ABSTRACT Historically, it has always been important for school leaders to possess and adhere to high ethical standards. Ethical standards, when demonstrated by school leaders, inspire trust within students, parents and the community in general. This in turn builds support for the school and establishes an environment that is conducive to success. However, with the advent of NCLB and high stakes testing, the pressure on schools to demonstrate improved student achievement has accelerated. Hence, the need for ethical leadership practices within public schools has never been greater. Yet, while much has been done to examine the relationship of various instructional methodologies, staff development programs and curriculum initiatives to student achievement; little has been done to examine the relationship between leadership ethics and student performance at the campus level. This exploratory correlational doctoral study through Walden University examined the relationship between the ethical training of elementary campus principals and student performance within their schools. The study found that a significant relationship exists between the level of ethics training of principals and student performance. The findings pose significant implications for programs that prepare educational leaders and for institutions that develop policy or provide training and on-going staff development for educational leaders