This dissertation summary discusses a study to investigate the elementary school teacher role and its concomitant expectations as perceived by principals and teachers. Teachers were surveyed as to how they perceived their own roles and what they thought principals perceived the roles of teachers to be. Principals in those same schools were surveyed to determine their expectations regarding the teachers' roles. The study concentrated on four selected roles of the teacher in low-income schools, including roles toward pupils, colleagues, parents, and the community. Responses to questionnaires were received from 138 of 142 teachers and from all 14 principals surveyed. One conclusion was that role conflict is most likely to occur between white teachers and teachers who are members of a minority group in connection with teacher behavior toward colleagues, parents, and in the community. The paper states that a need exists for improved communications between all groups in a school district about each group's role definitions and expectations. (Author/LD)