Developing Instructional Capacity for Educators on Campuses With Emergent Bilingual Students

ABSTRACT This study explores the persistent underperformance of emergent bilingual students at Wam Elementary, a Pre-K/Headstart-6 suburban public school in Texas experiencing rapid demographic changes. Using a design-based school improvement approach, the study addresses the disconnect between teaching practices and the specific learning needs of emergent bilingual students. The research employs Mintrop's (2016) three-phase design-based school improvement model to develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention focused on transforming teacher mindsets and instructional practices. Through an insider action research methodology, the study explores how school leaders can effectively cultivate this cultural shift and examines how implementing an effective PLC structure impacts teacher perceptions of emergent bilingual students. The research addresses an urgent need in a rapidly changing educational landscape where schools increasingly serve diverse populations of emergent bilingual learners. The findings offer actionable strategies for educational leaders seeking to address similar challenges in their schools, while acknowledging the context-specific nature of the intervention and the limitations inherent in the action research approach. This research provides a foundation for future studies examining the long-term impacts of asset-based approaches to supporting emergent bilingual students.