Leadership strategies employed by K–12 urban superintendents to improve the academic achievement of English language learners

2014-01-24As organizational leaders, superintendents face extraordinary pressure to close the academic achievement gap that persists among student demographic groups, particularly those classified as English language learners (ELLs). To improve the academic achievement of English language learners in their districts, superintendents must identify and adopt effective leadership strategies. This mixed-method study design was developed to determine the successful leadership strategies employed by K–12 urban superintendents to positively impact the academic achievement of students classified as English language learners. Specifically, the study sought to answer 4 research questions related to this topic. Collection of data was based upon purposeful, criterion-based sampling and conducted through quantitative surveys of 14 superintendents and qualitative interviews of 8 superintendents. ❧ Research findings are presented and discussed according to the 4 research questions of the study. First, key factors that superintendents considered in developing strategies to improve academic achievement for ELL students included teacher expectations, access to high quality teachers, and instructional leadership. Second, critical stakeholders whom superintendents involved in developing plans and processes to achieve the desired academic outcomes for ELL students included teachers, district-level personnel, and school-level administrators. Third, key strategies urban superintendents utilized to implement plans for improving academic achievement included high expectations for student achievement, clearly defined district-wide academic goals for ELL students, and on-site teacher collaboration. Fourth, to appropriately monitor and evaluate plans to improve the academic outcomes of ELL students, superintendents utilized valid, reliable assessment instruments, analyzed subgroup assessment data, and established instructional norms