Reading and the Elementary Principal: Implications for Policy and Practice

The purpose of this study was to analyze elementary school principals' sense of self-efficacy as leaders of reading instruction in their elementary schools. The researcher used an electronic survey to gather data to examine the self-efficacy beliefs of principals in their role as instructional leaders of reading education. The Tri-State Area School Study Council aided the researcher in identifying a sample group of 80 elementary school principals to participate in this study. The researcher developed two research questions that guided his study. One research question was designed to identify the perceived rating of elementary school principals' personal leadership efficacy as reading education leaders. The second question sought to learn how elementary school principals rated their self-efficacy, from various backgrounds and various schools, pertaining to their role as reading instructional leaders in their schools.The results of the study demonstrated that experience as a principal and teacher did not correlate with the perceived self-efficacy of principals. Rather, experience as a reading teacher correlated with the principals that rated themselves highly efficacious. Support from teachers, superintendents, central office, and parents proved to be significant factors in the principals' self-perception of efficacy. The results of the study also revealed that a majority of the elementary school principal respondents did not find their principal preparation program helpful in preparing them to be instructional leaders of reading instruction. An analysis of the data also indicated that female principals rated themselves more efficacious than male principals.These results support the need to further examine elementary school principal certification policies to better prepare elementary principals to lead reading instruction. Elementary school principals are responsible for supervising and evaluating reading teachers to enhance their reading instruction. This study suggests that some elementary school principals may not be prepared for this role