For several decades California public school reforms have focused on, and dedicated enormous resources of every kind to student learning and achievement, seeking ways to improve the definitive outcomes required by the state: uniform proficiency on assessments, and an increase in high school graduation rates for all students. In California's Central Valley region, the lack of adequate growth in achievement has unique foundations and is particularly problematic. As represented in the literature gathered in this study, research on this topic focuses on increasingly complex barriers to learning, and also on the repetitive application of the same problem-solving process, despite a lack of meaningful improvement in the state's overall student proficiencies and high school graduation rate. The scant literature as to the involvement of school principals as key decision-makers in this effort indicated that site leaders have not been directly and intentionally included in discussions and reforms regarding student achievement, even though they have the most practical and consistent exposure to underlying factors. The purpose of this study was therefore to use a needs-assessment methodology to collect and analyze data from school principals in a variety of schools located in the Central Valley. Principals were surprisingly candid during in-person interviews. Their responses were both passionate and pragmatic as they identified unmet needs, and offered suggestions that hinted at the potential to create actual structural shifts in how school systems continue to try to solve, or must instead focus on managing, certain problems. Results of these interviews allowed for the following observations, listed in order of ascending relevance to this study: 1. Principals had clear opinions about how and why past and current student achievement reforms have failed; 2. Principals were united in their identification of key barriers to student learning; and 3. Principals revealed an awareness of unsolvable problems (polarities), based on the complexity and longevity of current conditions. Polarity Management Theory was not discussed with principals before, during, or post-interview. Nevertheless, they conveyed an understanding that conventional problem-solving had been ineffective, perhaps without fully understanding the whys ; but clearly having many valuable experienced-based opinions. [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.]