The purpose of the study was to analyze the factors and perceptions that possibly related to the development of transactional leadership to transformational leadership. The study investigated variables that impact the development of leadership for administrators in San Joaquin Valley of California, specifically Madera County. The elements explored in this study include the political history of legislation affecting educational accountability, program improvement status, and federal and state administrator accountability: Elementary Secondary Education Act, No Child Left Behind, and Race to the Top.

The respondents from Madera County incorporated 14 schools from eight school districts which serve approximately 30,000 students; composed of elementary schools (grades K–6), comprehensive middle schools (grades K–8), middle schools (grades 7–8), continuation education high schools (grades 9–12), and comprehensive high schools (grades 9–12).

Participants included educators from Madera County Office of Education administrators, district office administrators, principals, vice-principals, and teachers. There were 348 participants who responded to the study. The participants included 31 school district administrators, 45 school principals, 25 vice-principals, and 247 teachers. The 247 teacher participants were broken down into these categories: 81 elementary (grades K–6), 19 comprehensive middle schools, (grades K–8), 52 middle school (grades 7–8); 23 alternative high school (grades 9–12); and 72 comprehensive high school (grades 9–12).

Major findings of the study were that school administrators tended to perceive themselves as lower in transformational leadership characteristics than the teachers perceived the administrators. Vice-principals and new administrators in general tended to perceive themselves as higher in transformational leadership characteristics. However, when looking at the pre and post survey results, administrators who attended transformational leadership training had rated themselves as increased in transformational leadership characteristics after the attending the training. The findings of the study suggest that continuous transformational leadership training is necessary for school administrators to face the growing demands of state and federal accountability.