The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine teacher perceptions of principal leadership style and school climate and the relationship between school climate and student academic performance. Teacher demographic backgrounds and perceptions were also investigated. In response to accountability issues mandated by federal and state legislation, Georgias new Standards Based School Reform and Curriculum, educators are looking at various aspects within schools to identify relationships between school variables and student performance. Approximately 370 teachers from ten public middle schools in a mid western Georgia community were surveyed concerning their perceptions of school climate, principal leadership behaviors, and teacher behaviors. Differences in perceptions of school climate and factors affecting climate were investigated according to teacher demographics. School climate, principal, and teacher openness, as related to student academic achievement, was also studied. Statistical procedures included Pearsons product moment correlations, repeated measures ANOVAs, and two sample t test. Correlations coefficients found no statistically significant relationship between school climate and student academic achievement. A statistically significant difference between teachers perceptions of teacher/principal openness and years of teaching experience and ethnicity was found. This study found no differences in perceptions related to gender.