The purpose of this study was to compare teacher and principal perceptions on the characteristics of effective instructional leaders within the context of professional development. A survey was constructed based on the National Staff Development Council leadership strand within the context standards for staff development. The survey was mailed to principals within the suburban area of a large, midwestern city. Principals were asked to distribute the survey to teachers in their respective schools. A total of 169 surveys were returned. The total return rate was 30% with a return rate of 34% for principals and 29% for teachers. The intervening variables of gender, education level, district size, and level of experience were also examined. A series of independent two-sample t-tests was carried out to compare principals to teachers on all eight questions from the survey. A series of one-way analysis of variance was used to examine how various intervening variables affected perceptions of teachers and principals. Questions four and five showed a significant difference between teacher and principal perceptions on the characteristics of effective instructional leaders. Null hypothesis four was rejected at the p<.01 level. This question focused on involving the faculty in the planning and implementation of staff development. Null hypothesis five was rejected at the p<.05 level. This question focused on the administrator modeling continuous improvement by stating publicly personal professional learning goals and asking for feedback from the faculty.