This quantitative study aims to determine if there is a relationship between principal longevity and student achievement in selected rural high schools in Mississippi. The study focused on fourteen (14) selected high schools in districts in rural Mississippi and the tenure of their principals during the years of 2017-2018, and 2018-2019. The focus is on the principal's tenure and the overall average school-wide for students' achievement in each school. Schools scoring fifty percent (50%) or higher are considered& and are considered& successful in students' achievement school-wide for each subject, Algebra I (9th grade) and English II (10th grade). The study also focuses on schools scoring below fifty percent (50%), which is considered minimal and unsuccessful in students' achievement. The school-wide percentage is based on the average number of students scoring at Level 3 (pass), Levels 4 (meets expectations), and Level 5 (exceeds expectations) on 2017-2018, and 2018-2019 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) test in both 9th Algebra 1 and 10th Grade English II. The Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) is designed to measure student achievement on the Mississippi College-and Career-Readiness Standards (MS CCRS) for English Language Arts and Mathematics and provide valid and reliable results to guide future data-driven instruction (Mississippi Department of Education, 2021). [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.]