Bilingual Pathways into the Principalship: Exploring the Demographics, School Characteristics, and Retention Patterns of Bilingual Principals in Texas

• In Event: Disrupting the Status Quo: Race and Identity in School Leadership

Abstract

Using longitudinal data from the Texas Education Research Center, we set out to explore the demographic patterns and impact of bilingual school principals. We examined Texas K-12 school employment files from 2007-2021, across all schools in the state to see how many school principals hold bilingual certification and how this rate has changed over time. We were interested in seeing what type of schools bilingual principals are more likely to work in and whether bilingual principals led to higher teacher retention rates. We found that the proportion of bilingual-certified principals continues to grow, often leading schools serving high numbers of historically marginalized groups of students and where a large share of teachers of color were employed.

Authors

• Brenda Rubio, University of North Texas
  Presenting Author

• Wesley L. Edwards, University of North Texas
  Presenting Author

• Tatiana Kurochkina, University of North Texas
  Presenting Author