University of Kurdistan With the Co-operation of The Iranian Educational Administration Association School Administration 2538-4724 14 1 2026 04 01 Exploring the Role of IT Capabilities and Digital Transformation Disclosure in the Relationship of Digital Leadership and Organizational Legitimacy with Continuous School Improvement among School Principals 64435 10.22034/jsa.2026.145548.2649 EN Shila Sadeghnezhad Department of Educational Governance and Human Resources, Ur.C., Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran Maryam Sameri Department of Educational Governance and Human Resources, Ur.C, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran 0000-0002-1369-0923 Mohammad Hasani Professor of Department of Educational Sciences, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran Journal Article 2026 02 21 This study aimed at exploring the capabilities of IT capabilities and digital transformation disclosure in the relationship between digital leadership and organizational legitimacy with continuous school improvement among school principals. It was correlation using descriptive methods for applied goals based on structural equation modeling and the total count method. The statistical population was all school principals in Khoy City, numbering 283 people. To collect data, standard questionnaires were used for continuous school improvement, IT capabilities, digital transformation disclosure, digital leadership, and organizational legitimacy. Pearson correlation coefficient, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the findings and SPSS and PLS software were employed to examine the relationships between variables (P ≥ 0.05). Based on the findings, ITcapabilities and organizational legitimacy had a direct effect on continuous school improvement, as well as digital leadership and organizational legitimacy on IT capabilities and digital transformation disclosure; while, leadership and digital transformation did not have a direct effect on continuous improvement. Also, organizational legitimacy and digital leadership had an indirect effect on continuous improvement with IT capabilities but didn ’t not have an indirect effect with the mediation of transformation disclosure. Thus, the ability of managers to utilize IT capabilities should be increased through retraining.