Exploring selected factors in the relationship between school climate and leadership behaviors in two Saint Lucie County elementary schools

The research study was designed to determine if significant correlations existed between selected factors of school climate and selected factors of leadership behaviors. The responses of the instructional staff of two Saint Lucie County elementary schools served as the basis for the study. The correlation of several bivariate combinations was studied for both schools independently. The Pearson product-moment correlation statistic was used to determine if a significant relationship existed at the.05 level. The Diagnostic Inventory of School Climate measured the following variables of school climate: (a) clear school mission, (b) safe learning environment, (c) expectation for success, (d) high morale, (e) effective instructional leadership, (f) quality classroom instruction, (g) monitoring student progress, and (h) positive home-school relations. Each of the climate variables was correlated with the following variables of leadership behavior as measured by the Diagnostic Survey for Leadership Improvement: (a) communication of the school principal, (b) control of the school principal, (c) decision making of the school principal, (d) interaction-influence of the school principal, and (e) confidence and trust processes of the school principal. It was concluded that in school one there were no statistically significant relationships between the variables of school climate and the variables of leadership behavior. However, in school two there were statistically significant relationships between: (a) the control of the school principal and high morale, (b) decision making of the school principal and high morale, (c) confidence and trust processes of the school principal and high morale, (d) decision making of the school principal and effective instructional leadership, (e) decision making of the school principal and quality classroom instruction, (f) control of the school principal and positive home-school relations, (g) decision making of the school principal and positive home-school relations, and (h) confidence and trust processes of the school principal and positive home-school relations.