Reimagining Literacy Leadership: Principal Supports for Coaching in the Science of Reading Implementation Efforts

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 1:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: How Principal Leadership Practices Influence Teacher Performance

Abstract

This qualitative case study examines how principals in a small Southeastern U.S. district made sense of and enacted their roles in supporting instructional coaching during the implementation of a justice-centered Science of Reading (SoR) initiative. As the district responded to historic disparities in literacy outcomes, eight elementary principals engaged in strategic leadership to sustain SoR practices, build coaching capacity, and navigate evolving teacher support structures. Using Spillane et al.’s (2002) sensemaking framework, the study highlights principals' leadership across structural, interpersonal, and cultural dimensions of reform. Findings underscore the importance of principal-coach collaboration and advocacy in implementing equity-driven literacy change, offering implications for building sustainable, future-focused instructional systems through deeply engaged, relational leadership.

Authors

• Beza Tefera Muzein, University of Georgia

• Sally J. Zepeda, University of Georgia