English Language Learners (ELLs) do not achieve sufficiently on standardized tests, as required by federal law. Fourth grade ELLs at a suburban elementary school in the Southern United States experienced similar problems in the failure rate on the state standardized test. Still, this school outperformed several of the schools in the same area of the county. In this sequential, explanatory study, teacher and administrator perceptions of school culture and its impact on the achievement of ELLs in a Southern elementary school were examined. Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory provided the theoretical framework to ground this study, as culture within a school could influence student achievement. At the study site, 26 elementary teachers voluntarily responded to the electronic School Culture Survey during the quantitative phase. Analysis of these surveys yielded means, produced factor scores, and identified discrepant areas. Two administrators, five 4th grade teachers, and four ELL teachers were invited and were interviewed to collect and analyze data in the qualitative phase. The thematic coding of the data identified teacher collaboration, collaborative leadership and perceptions of school culture as deficient in the school. The subsequent project, a position paper based on the findings, informed school leadership of the results and potential benefits a regional examination of school culture could provide. Improving school culture can allow teachers and administrators to better serve an underachieving student population; an improved culture could consequently contribute to positive social change for these ELLs.

Teachers' perceptions of leadership are often based on the leaders' behavior, and what leaders model daily. The problem in this case study was that teachers' perceptions of school leadership were not well enough understood to leverage as a tool for school improvement. The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers' perceptions of school principal's leadership style, and behavior affect school culture. The conceptual framework was based on literature of 3 key dynamics: leadership styles, and approaches, school culture, and influences of leadership on teachers' perceptions of school culture. The primary research question explored how teachers' perceptions of school leadership style, and behavior influenced the culture, and work of the school. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 15 elementary, middle, and high school teachers from across the United States who taught during the 2014-2015 school year. Data were collected using email interviews, and surveys. Data were coded using computer assisted data analysis and analyzed for themes using an inductive process. Emergent themes for school culture were identified as collaboration, teacher support, and professionalism. Leadership themes included equity and fairness, communication, and trustworthiness. Results suggest that teachers' perceptions of school principals influenced school culture and affected teacher's work. As a result, training is recommended for school leaders in the areas of ethics, professionalism, and school culture. Implications for social change are that leadership staff may become more knowledgeable and influence the teachers' perceptions of school leadership, thereby promoting school culture, resulting in improved student achievement, profiting both the community, and society.