Understanding Leadership Within Comprehensive Early Childhood English Learner Reform

• In Event: Park Central Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: Unique Challenges in Educational Leadership

Abstract

This paper examines leadership within a reform model that centralizes the needs of young English Learners. The English Learner student population continues to grow in California, yet schools have persistently been unable to support their learning needs. The concepts that frame this inquiry are rooted in the socio-political context, shared ownership and partnership, and the crafting of coherence within reform implementation. This is a critical case study of one district, Sequoia Grove School District, in its fourth year of implementation of the Sobrato Early Academic Language model. The author finds that leaders are able to build a reform coalition across actors, though crafting coherence appears to be complex. Furthermore, there are important socio-political factors that leaders are working to navigate.

Author

• Anya Hurwitz, Sobrato Early Academic Language model (SEAL)