Principals in urban settings serve elementary schools often densely populated with highly mobile, ethnically diverse, and economically disadvantaged students. Due to the changing landscape of increasing accountability issues required by the "No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)" (2001), principals must adjust the mission of the school community to meet legislative demands. Elementary principals are now heavily invested in strategies to meet the increased expectations of raising students' academic performance. It is important to understand how urban elementary school principals reconcile the tensions between accountability and equality for all students. This study sought to contribute to an understanding of specific characteristics of urban elementary principals who demonstrated advocacy for students within a context of accountability as mandated under the "NCLB." The findings of the study indicated that as mandated accountability measures evolved, inclusive social justice leadership practices were not pushed aside, but rather were integrated into the daily professional practices of some urban elementary school principals. (Contains 1 endnote.)