Navigating New Horizons: College Access for Multilingual Learners through Educator Collaboration

• In Event: Access for Whom? Reframing the Discourse on Equity and Opportunity

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates how educators at a U.S. public high school support multilingual learners’ (MLs’) college access through culturally sustaining practices. Based on an 18-month ethnographic study, data sources include biweekly mentoring, classroom observation, and interviews with ML students, ESOL teachers, a counselor, and the principal. The study examines how educators navigate and respond to systemic barriers such as linguistic marginalization, economic inequality, and institutional exclusion. Findings identify the significance of distributed leadership, culturally responsive support, and community-rooted practices. This research contributes to AERA’s conference theme by emphasizing how collaborative, community-based educational practices support resilience and promotes opportunity for culturally and linguistically diverse students in their postsecondary transitions.

Author

• Lei Jiang, University of Kansas