Scaling a School-Level Model: Intersections of Policy and Practice for Schools Serving Newcomer, Multilingual Students

• In Event: Addressing and Dismantling Intersecting Inequities to Promote Educational Justice for Newcomer Youth

Abstract

Objectives
Building on research of the Internationals whole school model (Jaffe-Walter & Villavicencio, 2021; Miranda, 2017; Villavicencio et al. 2020), our study focuses on Internationals Academies (IAs) - small learning communities embedded within public secondary schools designed to serve newcomer, multilingual students. This paper examines the intersection of policy and practice in IAs, illustrating how district and state policies limit schools’ capacity to serve immigrant English learners (ELs). Aligned with the conference theme, this paper spotlights how “race-neutral” policies can harm historically marginalized students and helps us reimagine equity and justice for immigrant ELs.

Perspectives
IAs are designed to counteract elements of traditional high schools that undermine immigrant ELs’ achievement (Cimpian et al., 2017; Lukes, 2015; Sugarman, 2017). First, schools typically require remedial classes for ELs focused on language development to the exclusion of academic content (Callahan, 2013; García & Kleifgen, 2018). In contrast, IA teachers integrate language and content instruction in credit-bearing courses. Second, EL teachers rarely have opportunities to collaborate with colleagues outside their disciplines (Lee, 2019). IAs address teacher isolation by establishing interdisciplinary grade-level teacher teams and allocating time for instructional planning. Finally, IAs aim to disrupt subtractive schooling experienced by many ELs (Callahan, 2013; Valenzuela, 1999) by framing home languages and cultures as assets and partnering with community-based organizations to provide social services to families.


Methods & data
This paper features a multi-sited case study of eight IAs in four distinct regions of the country. While the broader study examines leadership practices, professional conditions, and student supports connected to IAs’ effectiveness, this paper explores intersections of policy and practice across sites. In so doing, this study does not seek statistical generalizability, but rather “analytical generalization through theory” (Bartlett & Vavrus, 2016, p. 117). Data sources include semi-structured 60-minute interviews with school leaders; 45-minute focus groups with teachers; observations of teacher team meetings; and school-based artifacts collected over two years.



Preliminary findings
Our fieldwork has uncovered several policies that challenge the model’s implementation. For example, policies created to limit the number of ELs classified with learning disabilities make it harder for IA teachers to provide ELs with learning disabilities necessary testing and IEPs. At one site, a state-mandated audit identified grouping students by levels of English mastery as a form of segregation. ELA teachers in another district are prohibited from conducting standardized tests in students’ native languages, obscuring students’ true mastery of content. Meanwhile, changing state leadership has pushed for using traditional test scores versus growth scores for ELs, threatening IAs in one district. Finally, our paper also examines resistance to these policies, creating a vision for other schools serving immigrant ELs.

Significance
This paper aims to yield unique insights into the implementation of a model designed to improve outcomes for immigrant youth. The COVID-19 pandemic has only deepened existing disparities for immigrant youth, who experienced tremendous personal loss and educational setbacks due to the pandemic (Lazarin, 2020). Given long-standing disparities and disproportionate impacts of COVID-19, implementing scalable models is essential for addressing immigrant youths’ needs amidst policies undermining their opportunities to learn and thrive.

Authors

• Adriana Villavicencio, New York University

• Verenisse Ponce Soria, University of California - Irvine