The purpose of the study was to identify differences in role expectations held by selected referent groups of the bilingual education principal in Indiana. Referent groups in the study included:1) Bilingual education program directors.2) Non-bilingual education program directors.3) Bilingual education principals.4) Non-bilingual education principals.5) Bilingual education teachers.6) Non-bilingual education teachers.A twenty-three item questionnaire containing functions important to the role of the bilingual education principal was used to gather perceptions from the six educational referent groups. The null hypothesis was tested using Chisquare. The .05 level of significance was established as the critical probability level for the nonacceptance of the hypothesis.Findings1. The six referent groups were found to be in general agreement when the role of the bilingual education principal was treated generically.2. Several areas of significance appeared when bilingual groups versus non-bilingual groups were examined.3. Major differences appeared as non-bilingual groups expected more principal involvement in planning, directing, and managing while bilingual groups expected more involvement by the principal in the change agent function.4. The demographic factor of national origin produced a significant difference. Respondents of Hispanic origin expected more from the principal in areas of direct responsibility to bilingual education.ConclusionsThe findings supported much of the previous research on role expectations, role conflict, and leadership. Membership in a particular referent group can be considered a reasonable predictor of certain expectations of the role of a bilingual education principal.Recommendations1. Graduate schools of educational administration should include bilingual education theory, curriculum, and program models in their course requirements.2. Bilingual education principals must have some understanding both of their professional responsibilities for the operation of a school and also for the demands made of them by different referent groups.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / A causa de la falta de acceso al español formal y al español escrito, es típico que después de dos generaciones de inmigrantes, los hispanos pierdan su competencia en español. La lectura voluntaria, cuando uno lee porque quiere, es utilizada como método de impedir la pérdida del español como lengua de herencia. El propósito de este estudio es investigar cómo la lectura voluntaria facilita la adquisición y el mantenimiento del español como lengua materna.