School Leadership for English Learner Success: More Than an Instructional Issue

• In Event: Roundtable Session 56
  In Roundtable Session: Leading for Inclusivity and Diversity

Abstract

This mixed methods research study examines the relationship between school leadership, parent-school involvement and its influence on academic outcomes for English Learners (ELs) from the perspective of administrators, parents, and students of two elementary schools that are experiencing rapidly increasing EL student enrollment. Research focusing on ELs claims that school leaders who are successful in building strong relationships with EL families have a significant impact on parent-school involvement and support for student learning. These relationships, in turn, positively impact EL student motivation, self-efficacy, and academic outcomes. The results of this study indicate that school leaders who successfully build strong relationships with EL families have a significant impact on authentic parent-school involvement, which improves EL student motivation, self-efficacy, and academic outcomes

Authors

• Theresa Carson, Arlington Public Schools

• Sonya Douglass Horsford, George Mason University