Current school reform efforts aim to improve teaching and learning with emphasis on accountability for student achievement. The success of school reform depends on the motivation and capacities of school leaders. It is important to know what effective leadership practices look like to understand the direct impact to student achievement, specifically in high poverty urban schools. This study qualitatively examined the elementary principal's leadership practices, attitudes, and self-efficacy about teacher evaluation in Title I, Urban elementary schools that were making gains in student achievement. The results of this study linked effective principal leadership practices of teacher evaluation to improved student learning outcomes. The successful practices of teacher evaluation were the most prevalent of principal leadership practices to improve teacher quality and classroom instructional quality for students in well performing, high poverty urban schools. The results of this study indicate that the role of the principal is multifaceted with instructional leadership focused on teacher growth as prominent. The study's findings add to the body of research on principal effectiveness and to the understanding of the constructs of leadership that are most highly relevant to increasing student achievement in high poverty urban schools. The enhanced definition and understanding of principal effectiveness as it relates to specific principals' practices that enhance student achievement gains provide education stakeholders a reasonable basis for principal evaluation models, teacher evaluation models, professional development design, and leadership development. This study provides replicable practices for improved leadership results in high poverty urban schools. [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/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]