The Impact of Brown on EL Students: Addressing Linguistic and Educational Rights Through School Leadership Practice and Preparation

Abstract

In 1974, the Supreme Court drew on the 1954 Brown decision in Lau v Nichols, placing English learner (EL) students’ right to a meaningful education at the forefront of educational policy. Subsequent federal decisions and legislation (i.e., Castañeda; Equal Educational Opportunities Act [EEOA], No Child Left Behind [NCLB], and Every Student Succeeds Act [ESSA]) have placed the responsibility for providing quality educational programming on districts, schools, and school leaders. In this article, we propose a framework for the integration of linguistic equity in leadership preparation and an historical case of a university-based principal preparation program that has integrated this framework into coursework and clinical experiences.

Equity and State Immigrant Inclusivity: English Learner Education in ESSA

“…Nevada’s restrictive approach is particularly troubling, given both immigrants’ historical presence in the state and its relatively high share of ELs. The state’s antipathy toward immigrants collides with the lack of an EL educational focus in its ESSA plan, which in many ways ignores ELs’ linguistic civil rights (Callahan et al, 2019; DelValle, 2012) via an absence of educational services. We urge educators, researchers, and policymakers in these restrictive, inequitable contexts to carefully consider the long-term costs and consequences of the policies and programs regarding ELs, if not immigrants, in their states.…”

Linguistically Responsive Leaders: Working With Multilingual Students and Their Families

“…While empirical studies have demonstrated some elements essential to the success of multilingual students in schools, such as relationships with educators, development of academic language, cohesive professional learning, culturally responsive curriculum and pedagogies, additive policies, and systems of support (Araujo, 2009; Bartlett & Garcia, 2011; Miramontes et al, 2011), the literature is lean in offering descriptions of what this looks like in education leadership preparation (Baecher et al, 2013; Callahan et al, 2019; Mavrogordato & White, 2020; Murphy & Torff, 2012; Reeves & Van Tuyle, 2014). Studies that detail examples of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions education leaders need to successfully engage with multilingual learners include: (a) connecting authentically with family and community (Theoharis & O’Toole, 2011), (b) being knowledgeable of sociocultural and sociohistorical foundations of language education (Baecher et al, 2013), (c) collaboratively facilitating program planning and implementation (Baecher et al, 2013), (d) ensuring linguistically responsive instructional materials, curriculum, pedagogical practices and ongoing professional learning through supervision and evaluation processes (Baecher et al, 2016; Murphy & Torff, 2012), and (e) recognizing and working to dismantle systems of linguistic oppression in schools (Theoharis & O’Toole, 2011).…”

Un/Spoken Maps: How Black Women Principals Experience and Respond to Anti-Black Linguistic Racism A dissertation submitted to the faculty of San Francisco State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education In Educational Leadership by Philonda Chivon Grant San Francisco, California October

“…Further, researchers have suggested a principal of the same race often acts as a role model or advocate for their students (Horsford & Tillman, 2012). According to Horsford and Tillman (2012) (Callahan et al, 2019). Linguistic equity permeates decisions about curriculum, assessments, and pedagogy for instructional leaders who strive to serve linguistically diverse learners (Callahan et al, 2019).…”

“…According to Horsford and Tillman (2012) (Callahan et al, 2019). Linguistic equity permeates decisions about curriculum, assessments, and pedagogy for instructional leaders who strive to serve linguistically diverse learners (Callahan et al, 2019). First, literacy assessment and interpretations of literacy assessment for Black American youth must be done by allowing them to appropriately classify as bilingual, bidialectal, multilingual, or multidialectal speakers given the language of the test (i.e., Standard American English) often tends not to be their first dialect (Smith et al, 2019).…”

“…Researchers' recommendations for further exploration as it relates to the area of school leadership are noteworthy. First, evidence has suggested value in investigating how school leaders adopt a linguistic equity leadership approach (Callahan et al, 2019) and establishing antiracist language policies and structuring practices in their schools related to Black Language in schools (Razfar et al, 2020). Researchers have suggested an examination of the impact of principal language ideologies on education and professional development practices (Razfar et al, 2020).…”