Literacy practices as predictors of reading achievement /

Abstract

Research on educational administration from the past 40 years emphasizes the principal as an instructional leader. However, the research community has done little to specifically examine what literacy knowledge and practices elementary principals need to possess or do regarding literacy teaching and learning. Because federal legislation has increased scrutiny on literacy, the role of the elementary school principal as the instructional leader has intensified. In an era of increased accountability, effective literacy leadership is essential to the development and continued improvement of an elementary school. There is a dearth of research regarding what constitutes necessary literacy knowledge for elementary principals, what skills are needed to assume the role of literacy leader, and which literacy practices are linked to improved student achievement. This study focused on identifying common literacy practices of elementary principals and then determining if those practices impacted student achievement in reading. Survey data were collected to identify the literacy practices and correlated with student achievement data on the 2011 TCAP Achievement Reading Language Arts Test. Initial analyses found no significant relationship between the literacy practices of elementary principals and the reading proficiency of students in grades three through five in their buildings. Further analyses discovered a direct link between school setting and reading proficiency.