Curriculum staff at the district office can play a major role in supporting the development of principals as literacy leaders, a role that is especially important at the elementary school level. Principals who never taught grades K-2 report that they don’t know how to teach reading and therefore feel constrained in serving as a leader for literacy.
District administrators can support principals by identifying their needs, and funding professional development that helps principals become comfortable with the language about literacy, the research base, and recognizing good instruction during observations. Funding a literacy coach is another key way district administrators support principals deepen their knowledge about literacy.
Download this document to see an example of how grade level teams can get a big picture view of progress between two time periods.