Bigham, GaryBigham, Gary2024-04-022024-04-022023-12December 2December 2https://hdl.handle.net/11310/6406The research focus of the scholarly delivery is the principal-teacher relationship in rural schools during times of mandated school improvement. The first scholarly deliverable is a case study that can be used for teaching doctoral or master’s candidates in the field of educational leadership. The title of this article is “When a Teacher Chooses Non-Compliance: Harnessing the Power of the Principal-Teacher Relationship”. This case study uses the story of a new rural school principal’s conflict with one of her teachers to highlight the importance of building trust and using effective communication to strengthen the principal-teacher relationship. The final scholarly deliverable is an empirical article titled “When Faculty Feels Like Family: The Role of the Principal-Teacher Relationship in Rural School Improvement”. This article details how two rural Texas principals used positive relationships to garner academic growth on their campuses.application/pdfSchool Improvement, Rural Education, Principal-Teacher Relationshipsprincipal-teacher relationships, reflective listening, supervisor versus evaluator, rural education, school improvement, supportive principal, open communication in leadershipThesis2024-04-02