The case study contained within this dissertation is a part of the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP). The aim of this project has been to examine successful school principalship in Alabama through in-depth analysis of qualitative interview data. The primary focus of the study is the nature of school principalship--specifically what principalship entails and the principal's practices and behaviors. A secondary focus of the study of the project has been to better understand the myriad factors and contexts that impact school principals and their work. The school chosen for this study is a Title 1 school, a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, and has a diverse student population with over 50% of its student body having a low SES. The school has excellent scores on state assessments and has shown quantitative academic growth over the last three years. The principal of the school has served there for over 10 years and is widely considered a successful principal. Two research questions and corresponding ancillary questions are investigated through principal interviews, individual interviews with teachers, and focus groups with students and parents. All interviews, focus groups, and surveys use common protocols and questions developed by the ISSPP. The research questions of this study are related to definitions of success and the ways in which school principals contribute to the success of schools. This study concludes that defining success in terms of both academic growth and school liking has positively contributed to the overall success of the school. It was also found that the principal contributed to the success of the school is 6 key ways: uniform high expectations; sustained community partnerships; a shared mission of love, inclusions, and enjoyment of school; an organizational structure of collaboration; strong trust relationships between principal and faculty that has led to significant distributed leadership; and a special attention to hiring quality teachers. Implications for district leadership, school leadership, and further research are discussed. [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.]