Several research studies indicated that school leadership plays an important role in the improvement process of schools. However, the nature of this relationship is not clear and has been a blind spot in the corresponding literature (Harris, 2005). As such, the aim of this multiple case study is to shed light on the relationship between school improvement and school leadership. Eight Lebanese private schools principals constituted the participants of this study. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from various sources. Qualitative data was analyzed using the procedures of the grounded theory. Quantitative data was collected to provide better interpretation of the collected qualitative data. A leadership profile for school improvement was suggested as a result of this study. A set of leadership attributes seems to be necessary for school improvement efforts to succeed. In particular, school leaders must be knowledgeable, systems thinkers, and data-driven, with a vision guided by student-centered values.
Keywords: Data Driven Decision Making, Leadership, School Improvement, systems thinking
