This qualitative study was designed to gain an in-depth understanding of the role of the principal in successfully improving English Language Learner (ELL) educational outcomes in high poverty schools. It is based on interviews with five elementary principals who were employed by Hillsboro School District during the SET-R grant from school years 2007-2010. Three questions guided this study. First, how do the principals promote or implement school culture expectations and best instructional practices in elementary schools with high ELL populations? Second, what level of general knowledge about leadership characteristics do the principals possess whose students performed well academically as measured by OAKS in elementary schools with high ELL populations? Third, what do the principals regard as an effective approaches to comprehensively serve ELL populations? This topic continues to be a concern for administrators given the persistent achievement gap between ELLs and their peers at the secondary level despite some gains in the primary grade levels.