Principals of successful urban schools have certain attributes that heighten their effectiveness. They exhibit behaviors and attributes undergirded by an ideology, that is, a value-laden system of beliefs that is "caught" by life experiences and not "taught" in graduate courses. Potential star principals must be screened and selected before they can benefit from training. For those who do not espouse an ideology, behavioral training will not be as meaningful. Since formal university training is unlikely to transmit a belief system, principals' formal training can only be valuable if the candidates have been carefully screened and selected as persons who are already predisposed to believe the ideology of star principals. Research supports this proposition. Training must not be limited to formal college course work but must emphasize on-the-job internships in which the administrator-in-residence is coached weekly by a star principal. Prospective administrators must see teacher motivation and nurturing as a top priority. Star principals must model appropriate interactions and communications with parents and model ways to help teachers meet the needs of students at risk. Principal mentors must also model how to successfully evaluate teachers. Overall, star principals must empower teachers and students to succeed in school regardless of constraints. (RJM)