A Dream Attained or Deferred? Examination of Production, Placement, and Transition into the Principalship of Latina/o Educators in Texas

Presentation made at Latinos in the Heartland (12th : 2014 : St. Louis, Mo.) and published in the annual conference proceedingThe demographics of the student population enrolled in U.S. schools is quickly evolving, with dramatic increases in the number and percentage of English Language Learner students (Garcia, 2012), immigrant youth, and Latino/a students (Fry & Lopez, 2012). Increased pressures on educators to increase student test scores and to close test score achievement gaps raises questions about the degree to which school leaders are prepared to meet these challenges. Research shows school leaders prepared to deeply understand various student backgrounds and cultures tend to be more effective in ensuring positive outcomes for all students (Leithwood & Riehl, 2003). Yet scant research has examined the frequency of racial/ethnic matches between principals and students and how the dynamics of production and career advancement might influence the prevalence of such matches. Specifically, no empirical studies have examined the transition rate of Latino assistant principals (APs) into principalship positions, or how the rate compares to the rates of peers with different racial/ethnic backgrounds. With Texas as an example, we asked: What percentage of principals and assistant principals was Latino over the last 20 years? ; What percentage of majority Latino schools has been led by Latino principals in the last 20 years? ; Do Latino assistant principals become principals at the same rate as their peers? ; What is the time frame for advancement of Latino assistant principals to the principalship in relation to their peers? This study uses multiple state administrative data sets that show the employment status and individual characteristics of APs, principals, and the student demographics of schools from 1990 through 2008. We examined the transition rates of APs to principals across multiple cohorts of APs over extended time periods. Ultimately, we examined 112,342 assistant principal years and 118,883 principal years over the 18-year time frame to determine the percentages of employed APs and principals. Keywords: school leadership, Latino educators, principals, Latino educatio