The Role of High School Leaders in Advancing College and Career Readiness for Students Classified as English Learners

Abstract As attention has grown to expanding “college and career readiness” (CCR) for students classified as English Learners (ELs) in U.S. schools, an understudied piece of the puzzle is the role of high school leaders. Given their responsibilities for overseeing curriculum and instruction and implementing state and district policies, site leaders have outsized influence on ELs' access to CCR pathways. This paper reports on a two‐case study, using ethnographic methods, that explored the ways site leaders in two comprehensive high schools navigated language policy and other institutional factors with consequences for access to CCR for ELs. The study found that while the school leaders voiced commitment to equitable outcomes for ELs and assets‐oriented views of students' developing bilingualism, they encountered dilemmas in working to ensure that ELs received the specialized language instruction they needed and were fully included in the range of CCR opportunities their schools offered. In response to these dilemmas, school leaders prioritized certain policies and goals over others and attempted to leverage schoolwide structures to address multiple goals. Our findings have implications for language education research as well as policymakers and school leaders seeking to maximize postsecondary pathways for ELs.