RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COMMITMENT AND ROLE OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL IN REGIONS I, III AND V IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA REGARDING MEDIA AND THE QUALITY OF THE SCHOOL MEDIA CENTER

Principals and media specialists serving in the same elementary schools in Regions I, III and V in the State of Florida were surveyed separately and analyzed. The principals' survey rated their acceptance and implementation of the components of a quality educational media program, while the media specialists' survey rated the quality of the educational media center in their schools. The purpose of the study was to determine if there was a significant relationship between principals' roles (acceptance) and commitment (implementation) to a media program and the quality of the educational media centers in their schools.;The study offers some recommendations to help make needed improvements in elementary school educational media center programs. With these improvements, quality educational media services could be provided to support educational programs, which some experts in the fields of library and information sciences and education believe to be a necessary and vital combination if excellence in education is to be achieved.;It was concluded from this study: (1) Principals showed an acceptance or strong endorsement for the components of a quality educational media program, but were not implementing them to the same degree, according to media specialists; (2) principals reported they generally implemented the components of a quality educational media program, while media specialists rated their educational media centers to be significantly lower in the components of personnel, materials, facilities and budget; (3) principal respondents lacked an understanding of quantitative standards for a quality educational media center program; (4) funding for school programs varied in Regions sampled, but no significant differences in educational media budgets were found between Regions; and (5) the educational media programs sampled were neither excellent, or poor, but mediocre as a group.