Mapping the effectiveness of principals in secondary schools in Rio de Janeiro state

This paper reports findings from a large scale quantitative survey research project on the impact of leadership on pupils’ academic outcomes in secondary schools in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. This research was designed to increase knowledge of principals’ work by examining associative and causal relationships between school leadership and student outcomes for the first time in Brazil. Descriptive analyses and structural equation modelling were used to explore the underlying dimensions of leadership practices and identify direct and indirect causal patterns between these and school conditions/culture and change in pupil outcomes. The project findings revealed differences in strategies between principals leading schools in different socioeconomic contexts and between the relative effectiveness of the schools.