Today's urban secondary principals face many challenges. They have to not only manage their schools, but also be effective instructional leaders, often changing instructional practices in order to promote student achievement. This involves the support of many, most notably the superintendent, in order to be done well and make their school a highly effective school, as measured by AYP data. This survey examined the traits deemed necessary in order to be a highly effective principal, how those traits translated into instructional change, and how the superintendent supported their principals in their quest for effective leadership and increased student achievement. Four research questions were used in this mixed-methods study. A survey instrument that included both closed-ended and open-ended questions was sent to 25 secondary principals and 25 superintendents in California. In the end, 16 principals, and 13 superintendents completed the survey. From that pool, 5 superintendents and 5 principals were selected and were interviewed for one hour, based on the same research questions. The research study resulted in several key findings. First, teachers must have "buy-in" when principals are discussing effective teacher practices. Second, when speaking of what makes a principal an effective leader, superintendents and principals alike place more of an emphasis on the importance of the principal being an instructional leader than on being an effective manager. Third, when principals are seeking to make instructional change at the school-site level, it is extremely important that it is a collaborative process. Fourth, superintendents must support secondary principals by open lines of communication, and willingness to trust the other to make a well-informed decision, and back each other up on the decisions that were made. [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.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]