Exploring Organizational Leadership for English Learner Equity
Rebecca M Callahan1, Anysia P Mayer, Anthony H Johnson2
1Department of Educational Leadership & Policy, Population Research Center, University of Texas-Austin.
Leadership and Policy in Schools
|April 24, 2023
Summary
Leaders of color faced challenges implementing culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) due to differing equity views among staff. Disparate understandings and accountability issues hindered effective CRSL in this dual-language elementary school.
Area of Science:
- Educational Leadership
- Cultural Responsiveness in Education
- Equity in Education
Background:
- Dual-language elementary schools face unique challenges in serving English learner (EL) students.
- Culturally Responsive School Leadership (CRSL) is crucial for creating equitable learning environments.
- Understanding leadership practices within diverse school settings is essential for educational equity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore leadership practices in a dual-language elementary school with leaders of color.
- To analyze the implementation of an equity-oriented engineering program for EL students through an organizational leadership and CRSL lens.
- To identify challenges in enacting CRSL within the school's existing organizational and instructional culture.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study using interview and observational data.
- Intersectional analysis employing organizational leadership, culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL), and culturally responsive teaching (CRT) frameworks.
- Focus on pre-existing tensions and challenges within the school's culture rather than program implementation.
Main Results:
- School leaders and teachers encountered significant challenges stemming from varied perspectives on achieving equity for EL students.
- Disparate understandings of equity hindered the leaders' ability to successfully implement CRSL.
- The school's culture lacked explicit processes for critical consciousness, and accountability practices impeded CRSL enactment.
Conclusions:
- Effective CRSL implementation requires aligned understandings of equity among all stakeholders.
- Organizational infrastructure and accountability structures must support, not hinder, culturally responsive leadership.
- Developing critical consciousness is vital for fostering a truly equitable and responsive school culture.
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