Impact of the leaders' literacy leadership practices on the role of the assistant principals in Los Angeles County high schools.

摘要

Purpose. This study focused on the assistant principal's role in implementing Common Core State Standards (CCSS) literacy initiatives using a literacy leadership framework. Additionally, assistant principal's gender and years of experience were studied to examine any significant differences in literacy roles in CCSS transition.;Methodology. This study employed descriptive and ex post facto research to gather data from high school assistant principals in Los Angeles County using a literacy leadership Likert-scaled survey. Additionally, two open-ended questions allowed participants to expand on literacy activities.;Findings. Findings showed assistant principals perceived their key roles to be building capacity, ensuring quality literacy instruction, and prioritizing literacy. A significant difference occurred in implementing a quality program regarding years of experience. A significant difference between genders was indicated in building capacity, supporting staff development and learning communities, and assessing performance and ensuring accountability. Key roles in literacy initiatives were providing professional development, supporting teacher collaboration, implementing and monitoring literacy programs, prioritizing literacy, and observing classroom practices. Differences existed in years of experience in responses regarding teacher collaboration, limited role in literacy initiatives, implementation and monitoring of literacy programs, and prioritizing literacy. The only gender-based difference was prioritizing literacy and attending external professional development or conferences.;Conclusions. Four conclusions emerged from the data analysis: (a) high school assistant principals are literacy leaders, thus requiring literacy leadership development; (b) family involvement is important to literacy; assistant principals must connect family literacy in meaningful ways to educational practices; (c) assistant principals are facilitators of professional development supporting literacy initiatives; (d) a gender gap persists where female assistant principals consistently self-reported themselves higher in supporting all literacy activities studied than males.;Implications. Suggestions for educational leaders supporting assistant principals include (a) support the assistant principal's literacy leadership ability by building the assistant principal's knowledge of literacy-embedded CCSS and adolescent literacy; (b) develop the assistant principal's ability to support professional learning communities that emphasize building common literacy practices, assessments, and collaborative data analysis; (c) clarify the assistant principal's role in fostering family literacy in educational literacy practices; and (d) actively involve assistant principals in teacher hiring in order to build capacity.