School Leadership and Performance: A Social Network Approach

In the culture of professional egalitarianism that often prevails in schools, teachers are likely to accord power only to expert principals. Because egalitarianism inhibits the emergence of informal leaders, if the principal is not empowered, then only a weak coordination and control of a school's instructional activity is possible. This article supports this viewpoint on the principals' role with findings on the leadership, social networks, and performance of 17 elementary schools.