The study surveyed two groups of elementary school principals who participated in the 1983 and 1984 NAESP National Fellows Program by means of a questionnaire; one hundred seventy-three principals from the 1983 program and one hundred twenty-six from the 1984 group. The questionnaire sought to gather information in an effort to determine whether the subjects made changes in their schools in five selected categories during the 1983-1984 school year, and if so, the sources the subjects cited as motivating them to undertake such a change.

The information indicated that the highest number of respondents (N=238) reported making changes or undertaking new initiatives in their instructional programs with a seventy-nine (79%) response in this category. There were differences between the two groups in two categories: creating business/school partnerships and management style. There was relatively little difference between the two groups in the final two categories: use of technology to provide information to students and marketing the good things about school.

The investigator concluded that (1) the principal does influence change in the school and the instructional program of the school receives the greatest level of involvement from the principal; and, (2) that the information provided by the principals indicated that conventions, books, and contact with other colleagues provided the most frequently cited sources for motivation to undertake change or new initiatives; and, (3) that participation in the NAESP National Fellows Program could be considered a strong motivating force for impacting change in the schools led by the participants.