This qualitative multiple case study provided insight into how exemplary Catholic elementary school principals understand and practice mission-driven leadership in Catholic elementary schools and how they articulate Catholic identity in these schools. The Church has communicated that the primary goal of a Catholic school is to support the ecclesial mission of the Church (John Paul II, 1979; SCCE, 1982; John Paul II, 1987; CCE, 1998; Benedict XVI, 2008; O'Connell, 2012). The Catholic Church has clarified the mission of a Catholic school, which is to provide a strong academic formation in a distinctive Catholic environment (CCE 1988). Most Catholic schools today are led by the laity, who have indicated that they have not received sufficient formation in the areas of faith and spiritual leadership (Hansen, 2001; Joseph, 2004; Belmonte & Cranston, 2009; Schuttloffel, 2014). This study described how exemplary Catholic elementary school principals understand and practice mission-driven leadership in their schools.

Data for this study came from interviews with four lay Catholic elementary school principals who were nominated by their diocese as exemplary leaders, site visits to their schools, and a document analysis of key public communications regarding mission and Catholic identity in their schools. Creswell's (2007) analysis strategies were used, to prepare and organize the data, reduce the data, and represent the data. Using direct interpretation, I made natural generalizations that emerged from the data and presented an in-depth picture of the cases (Creswell, 2007). The cross-case analysis was conducted through the lens of the theoretical framework first and then was analyzed to identify any themes or concepts which emerged from the data (Merriam, 2001).

The study found that the exemplary Catholic elementary school principals in this study form their understanding of the mission of their schools and educational philosophies primarily through their life stories, school experiences, and faith journeys. The study also found that while the principals did not feel they were prepared to be spiritual leaders, they have found many ways to engage their communities to provide the faith formation necessary for the students, teachers, and families of the school. They made faith formation a priority for their faculties, communicated that mission-consistency is the most important factor in hiring, and engaged their teachers in supporting the mission of the school. The principals in the study were evangelizers and community leaders who engaged their school, parish, and local communities in advancing the mission of their schools. The missions of each of the schools and the manifestations of Catholic identity varied as the principals allowed their strengths to shape their specific areas of focus, supported the unique charism of their schools, and made decisions to support their schools' unique demographics. The principals intentionally sought creative ways to make the mission accessible to the students through themes, assemblies, and addressing the physical spaces of the schools. The results of this study identify ways that exemplary Catholic elementary school principals are making decisions regarding the missions of their schools. These results can be used by principals, dioceses, Catholic higher education, and policy makers to promote best practice to strengthen their own schools.