Effective Leadership Practices For English Language Acquisition Award Schools: A Case Study

Abstract

With the changing demographics of public schools and growing accountability measures placed on educators, many district leaders and school principals seek methods to improve the academic achievement of English language learner (ELL) population. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate if, and how, district leaders and school principals from select elementary schools in Washington State identify and implement leadership practices to involve instructional staff in promoting the academic achievement of English language learners (ELLs). This study was guided by three research questions: (a) What leadership practices do district leaders and school principals identify as positively promoting the academic achievement of ELLs within their districts and schools? (b) How are district leaders and school principals implementing the leadership practices identified in their districts and schools? and (c) When implementing the leadership practices they identified, how are district leaders and school principals involving instructional staff in the implementation process? Semi-structured interviews, detailed field notes, and district and school documents were the data collection measures. Analysis of the data revealed six leadership themes common to elementary school principals and district ELL leaders within English Language Acquisition Award (ELAA) schools and districts. The findings from this study align with prior research and add to current literature by identifying leadership themes implemented to improve the teaching and learning of ELLs. School principals, district leaders, ELLs, and the educational leaders of Washington State agencies who strive to improve the educational outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse students may benefit from the results from this study.