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An Introduction: Chicana/Latina Feminista Pláticas in Educational Research
Dolores Delgado Bernal, Alma Itzé Flores, Tanya J. Gaxiola Serrano, and Socorro Morales
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Equity Leadership for English Learners During COVID–19: Early Lessons
Magaly Lavadenz, Linda R. G. Kaminski, Elvira G. Armas, and Grecya V. López
This article provides the findings of an exploratory, qualitative study on distance learning policies and practices from a purposeful sample of five California school districts and 25 district and school leaders with large numbers and/or larger percentages of current or former English Learners. To understand the extent to which leaders address English Learners’/Emergent Bilinguals’ (EL/EM) needs during the pandemic, we posed the following research question: What are leaders’ local policies and practices in designing and implementing distance learning to promote equity for English Learners? We gathered three key district policy documents across three moments during the pandemic: (1) COVID-19 Operations Written Reports (Spring 2020), (2) School Reopening Plans (Summer 2020), and (3) Learning Continuity and Attendance Plans (Fall 2020). We also conducted interviews and triangulated data sources using grounded theory to analyze and understand how equity is framed and implemented. Data triangulation and iterative rounds of coding allowed us to identify three inter-related findings: (1) leading in the crisis of connectivity and bridging the digital divide; (2) maximizing diverse ELs’ learning experiences; and, (3) building from collaborative leadership cultures to collaborative virtual leadership cultures. Using these key findings, we conceptualized the framework for equity leadership for English Learners to address the needs of this underserved population. We conclude with a call for further examination, in both leadership preparation as well as in policy implementation research.
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An Introduction to the Special Issue: Consultation to Increase Educational Access and Improve Conditions for LGBTQ Youth
Emily Fisher and Karen Huchting
This article is the introduction for a theme issue of Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation entitled “Consultation to Increase Educational Access and Improve Conditions for LGBTQ Youth.” First, we discuss the need for consultation to support LGBTQ youth, the current state of consultation research related to LGBTQ youth, and the unique considerations and challenges for conducting research related to LGBTQ youth. Next, we introduce the articles in this special issue. Finally, we address notable gaps and future directions while encouraging researchers and journal editors to embrace the messiness associated with this type of research.
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Equity for English Learners: Evidence from Four Years of California’s Local Control Funding Formula
Magaly Lavadenz, Elvira G. Armas Ed.D., and Sylvia Juaregui Hodge
This study examined evidence of equity for English Learners-one of the three targeted student groups–in the early implementation of California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) across data sets from seven studies. We used social justice inquiry methods and data integration analytic approaches that included purposeful sampling of districts’ Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs), and data integration analyses of interviews with education leaders to examine how equity was advanced for English Learners. Our findings reveal that the quest for equity for English Learners is elusive and requires multilevel efforts to reverse the national, state, and local histories of unequal treatment, deficit orientations, socio-political dynamics, and legacies of unequal funding that still permeate many schools. Further advances in equity will require greater systemic coherence that sharpens the focus on educational outcomes for English Learners. California’s most recent policy shifts–including the passage of Proposition 58 and the English Learner Roadmap–show promise of systemic coherence and alignment to an assets-based approach for English Learners in the state and nation, as tangible evidence of equity in services and outcomes are still works in progress.
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Scaffolded Dialogic Reading Professional Development for Transitional Kindergarten Teachers of Dual Language Learners
Magaly Lavadenz and Elvira G. Armas
This article presents the results of a study examining a 6-month project funded by the U.S. Department of Education that focused on enhancing teacher learning and instructional practices in transitional kindergarten (TK) in a large urban California school district. The project integrated and adapted the Doing What Works (2012) dialogic reading practices1 into ongoing professional development for 28 TK teachers working in classrooms with high percentages of 4- and 5-year-old dual language learners (DLLs). We employed a quasi-experimental design that used a comparison group to examine how teaching practices changed both with and without the project’s coaching support. Data from classroom observations, teacher surveys, and coaching reflections indicate that implementation of scaffolded dialogic reading practices improved TK teachers’ knowledge and oral language instructional strategies for teaching DLLs.
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Reconceptualizing leadership in culturally diverse settings: A Learning community model
Magaly Lavadenz and Mary K. McCullough
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Para-Educators: A source for remedying the shortage of teachers for limited English proficient students
Magaly Lavadenz
Despite recent attempts by State Departments of Education and local education agencies we have failed to increase the supply of bilingual teachers required to meet the instructional needs of the rapidly growing numbers of limited English proficient (LEP) students (Olsen & Chen, 1988). We propose that Bilingual para educators, teacher assistants currently working in classrooms with LEP students, are a promising source of bilingual teachers. We also discuss possible barriers to the process of preparing this potential work force to take its place among the ranks of the nation's teachers. The importance of this information is rooted in the need of public education systems throughout the country to adequately serve a diverse student population.
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