The role of a principal has drastically changed since school reform and accountability of the No Child Left Behind legislation in 2001. Principals are responsible for curriculum, academic performance of students, instructional practices and overall organization of a school. According to research, effective leadership is related to students' academic achievement which fulfills the state mandate of adequate yearly progress (AYP). However, students in high-poverty schools are still performing below proficiency despite efforts implemented to raise academic achievement. While there are schools that are affected because of high-poverty, there are schools that are high-poverty and high-performing due to effective leadership. This study investigated leadership practices of a principal in a high-poverty, high-performance school in accordance with Florida Department of Education's school performance grade standards. In this qualitative study, data was collected using Bass and Avolio's (1995) Multi-Factor Leadership Questionnaire as well as a structured interview. The study identified behaviors, attitudes and attributes of a leader that may lead to academic achievement. Burns' (1978) transformational leadership theory identifies four factors of leadership: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, influenced stimulation and individualized consideration. While there is a gap in researching regarding a direct correlation between academic achievement and the principal, the results of the study did indicate a relationship between the two. The results of the study indicated that the principal practiced idealized influence. The themes that emerged from the study were motivation/encouragement, organization, and support. The teachers who participated in the study discussed the importance of effective leadership and its influence on academic achievement. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]