Principals Conceptualizing Their Role Relative to Undocumented Students: A Critical Neo-Institutional Perspective

• In Event: Toward Increased Cultural Connectedness, Race-Consciousness, and Critical Care: School Administrator and Student Perspectives

Abstract

This employed neoinstitutional and critical theories to explore: how principals conceptualize their role relative to undocumented students; how principals shape the schooling of undocumented students; and how, if at all, structuration processes shape their conceptualizations and action. This study was conducted in six states across three regions — Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, and South Carolina. Primary data was collected via interviews with 46 public high school principals, between four and eleven per state. Data was analyzed thematically via multiple rounds of inductive and deductive coding. Findings offered insights into not only how principals in diverse contexts conceptualize their role and what they do relative to undocumented students but also why, by considering the role of various structures.

Author

• Chelsea Connery, University of Connecticut