Notions of "Success" in Southern Arizona Schools: Principal Leadership in Changing Demographic and Border Contexts

This article examines how Southern Arizona principals conceptualize and enact successful leadership in border schools with shifting demographics and high percentages of colonized populations. Beyond global neoliberal and neoconservative pressures for accountability and standardized curricula, Arizona principals must also navigate immigration and language legislation. Our qualitative study follows the International Study of Successful School Leadership (ISSPP) in case study design and data collection protocols. Findings indicate that, along with Leithwood and Riehl's leadership dimensions, all four principals demonstrate a sociocultural affect as part of successful practice in Arizona border contexts.