Our nation's k-12 schools are faced with numerous critical challenges: elevating academic achievement, recruitment and retention of high-caliber teachers, improving teacher quality, and meeting the mandates of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation and state standards (Simpson, Lacava, & Graner, 2004; & (Kowalski, 2009). Today's school leaders must be effective operational leaders, as well as effective instructional leaders in order to provide leadership that effectively addresses the complex and unprecedented challenges facing today's schools (Fullan, 2005). The purpose of this research was to examine the effect of key leadership practices on the impact of academic achievement as perceived by teachers.

The following research questions were investigated: 1. What leadership practices are more frequently demonstrated in satisfactory schools and unsatisfactory schools? 2. Is there a significant difference in leadership practices at unsatisfactory elementary schools? 3. Is there a significant difference in leadership practices at satisfactory elementary schools? 4. Is there a significant difference between the leadership practices in unsatisfactory elementary schools and the leadership practices in satisfactory schools?

The participants of this study were a random sample of 100 teachers. The researcher selected fifty teachers from two satisfactory elementary schools and fifty teachers from two unsatisfactory elementary schools in Georgia. The schools were similar in size and demographics, teachers' years of service, and leadership service.

Descriptive statistics, t-Test and Chi-Square were used to analyze the data. A twelve-item survey based on an extensive review of the literature with a five-point Likert response scale was developed by the researcher and used to investigate leadership practices (Barth, 2006; Kowalski et al., 2008; Kouzes & Ponsers, 2002). The survey instrument was piloted prior to an application to this study. Chapter IV concluded there was no significant difference of the leadership practices of successful elementary schools and unsuccessful elementary schools. The research indicated that leadership practices do not significantly impact academic achievement. Chapter V recommended additional study in the area of principals and leadership practices impacting student achievement, due to the changing nature of standards and accountability.