There is growing recognition that elementary, junior, and senior high schools are different organizations with different school cultures and different leadership needs. School-level differences in principal leadership behavior, student and teacher perceptions of the school culture, and student and teacher commitment were assessed using data from 160 principals, 171 teachers, and 1,492 students from Illinois. Principals' reports of their behavior were similar across three school levels. Junior high teachers reported more stress on accomplishment and affiliation goals and less emphasis on power goals than teachers at other school levels. Elementary students had the highest, and senior high students the lowest, means on both the culture and the commitment scales. At all three levels, student perceptions of a cultural stress on accomplishment and affiliation were positively related to commitment. At the elementary and junior high levels a perceived stress on recognition, and at the senior level a stress on power, also predicted student commitment. A considerable discrepancy between student and teacher perceptions of the school culture was found. Numerous tables are included. (14 references) (Author/MLH)