This study concerned itself primarily with the development of criteria for the selection of inner city school elementary school principals using New York City as the prototype for other large urban centers. Groups of professional educators and lay community representatives indicated on questionnaires the five most important personal characteristics and the five most important professional experiences and characteristics they considered important in the selection of elementary school principals. Thirty-three categories evolved from content analysis of the responses. Comparisons among communities and among personnel groups showed statistically significant agreement concerning the rank order of professional and personal characteristics they considered important in elementary school principal selection in New York City. (RA)