This paper reports on a: (1) review of recent literature on the principal's role in the implementation of educational reform, and (2) study of teacher perceptions of the role of the principal in the implementation of recent Texas reform legislation. Research on societal and organizational change shows that the inevitability of change should be a part of the school administrator's decision-making process. The multiple responsibilities of change management can be stress-producing, but effective educational administrators have developed leadership skills, personalities, and expertise to cope with the demands of their jobs. Results of a questionnaire distributed to and returned by approximately 60 teachers in 16 small South Texas school districts support the theory that the role of the principal as change agent for educational reform is of singular importance if reform is to be implemented in a smooth and efficient manner. The questionnaire, which is included in the document, gathered specific data regarding four significant variables involved in the principal's role as change agent: (1) promotion of positive attitudes for high teacher morale, (2) effective communication, (3) strong and effective leadership, and (4) efficient and impartial evaluation. A fifth category collected open-ended comments on teachers' perceptions of what the principal's role should actually be. Two pages of references are appended. (IW)