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Best Practices for Diverse Learners The society of the United States of America Is culturally diverse. This diversity reflects on the demographics that our schools have. Every school leader needs to understand the diversity that exists at their schools. Understanding the diversity will determine how professional educators meet the difficulties or handles everyday situations that school generates. Understanding this cultural composition is not enough. There must be a group of leaders, teachers, researchers and other stakeholders committed to deal with the educational processes that English language earners face.
I selected this group because In my teaching career I have observed that many efforts have been made to reach this group, but ELLS continue to struggle to meet the standards. According to Miller (201 1), educators who create culturally relevant learning contexts are those who see students’ culture as an asset, not a detriment to their success (p. 69). I feel passionate about the potential and the richness that these students can bring to the classroom.
Therefore, I have to peruse the following question: What strategies can be developed by leaders to engage ELL dents to become life long learners and ensure academic success? Leadership that fosters culturally diverse settings will result into a positive climate that will impact students’ achievement. Future Focused Plan As a future focused leader I understand the great need of developing radical alternative that can represent an option for English language learners. Therefore, I suggest a strategic plan to develop a choice program.
This choice program will be known as Dual Language Academy. This choice program will be a campus that will exclusively offers a two-way dual language model. This choice program will offer to English-speaking children and minority language speakers learn together in the same classroom, with the goals of bilingualism, bilaterally, cross-cultural understanding, and high academic achievement for all (Landholding-Leary 2001). The first step of this plan is to assess the area demographics to identify the needs of parents, children and the community.
According to Brandenburg (2009) approximately 20% of all public school students speak a language other than English at home, which accounts for more than 10 million students. Second, Identify and Involve key stakeholders. These stakeholders have an important role in order for the program to be successful. Here and Eifel (2007), provided a promising suggestion so that schools can help students succeed academically: expand stakeholder involvement beyond the school itself. During this process a leadership team will be established.
Members of this team could consist of Superintendent, School Board members, school administrators, resource staff, teachers (bilingual and monolingual), and parents. Third, design and obtain an approval of a budget that supports the implementation of the program. The budget must include areas that are not typically noninsured in traditional schools. For example, testing materials in two languages, supplemental classroom and library materials in the target language, external evaluator, specialized professional development and marketing.
Additionally, the Implementation of a strong parental Involvement Initiative, for example Parental and families still experience power differences and conflicts in their relationships with school personnel (Reynolds, 2010). It is important to involve parents and community from the beginning, and encourage them to volunteer in the classroom and learn as much as they can about the program. As Cummins (2000), argues, we do indeed need to transform bilingual programs from subtractive, deficit-oriented transitional programs to additive, enrichment-oriented dual-language programs that are desirable even to the most elite.
A dual language program can offer an alternative for ELLS to develop critical thinking skill and simultaneously acquire the English language. An additional benefit is to offer a choice program to monolingual students to become bilingual, obliterate and bacterial in order to face the challenges of the global society. Forces, Detractors and Tensions In times that accountability and policymaking are presents in the educational system many forces, detractors and tensions can be encountered.
According to Ackermann (201 1), the ability to communicate clearly, confidently, and compassionately and through a variety of media, during prolonged or recurring periods when finances and resources are diminishing, is an essential skill for supervisors in student services (p. 6). Clear communication with stakeholders is the key to implement a productive initiative. While conducting the literature review for this assignment an interesting detractor was identified. Researchers have identified as a possible trend of segregation as a consequence of a not well-balanced dual language program.
As a future-focused leader this is an aspect that needs to be taken in consideration when developing the objectives of a two-way dual language program. According to Palmer (2010) we need to explore questions regarding equity of access, equitable delivery of services, and equitable treatment in the classroom (p. 110). Equity must be the primary principle in order to provide multidimensional realm of opportunities for diverse academic environment. Conclusion Finally, the educational field bases its decisions in the value that it is given to data that have been collected and analyzed.
School leaders need to be able to develop the ability to balance their performance with what it entails to be an effective leader. Schools need to elaborate efforts that develop a conversation on the importance in acknowledging diversity as an essential tool to increase academic performance by the development of effective educational alternatives. A dual language model can be the key to reach the future academic success for all English language learners. Cummins, Jim. (02000). Language, Power and Pedagogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire.
Cleveland, England:Multilingual Matters. Brandenburg, E. (2009). The Demographic Context of Urban Schools and Districts. Equity & Excellence In Education, 42(3), 255-271. Here, K. D. , & Eifel, A. (2007). Extending the responsibilities for schools beyond the school door. Policy Futures in Education, 5,567-580. Landholding-Leary, Kathy. (2001). Dual Language Education. Cleveland, England: Multilingual Matters. Miller, H. (2011). Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in a Diverse Urban Classroom. Urban Review: Issues And Ideas In Public Education, 43(1), 66-89.
Palmer, D. (2010). Race, Power, and Equity in a Multivalent Urban Elementary School with a Dual-Language “Strand” Program. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 41(1), 94-114. Reynolds, R. (2010). “They think you’re lazy’ and other messages Black parents send their Black sons: An exploration of critical race theory in the examination of educational outcomes for Black males. Journal of African American Males in Education, 1(2), 144-163. Ackermann, T. (2011). Dynamics of Supervision. New Directions For Student services, (1 36), 5-16.