Effective instructional leadership for teaching English learners (ELs) starts with crafting a vision for student learning and establishing a concrete plan to bring it to life. Successful leaders foster collaborative discussions among staff centered on high-quality instruction, equitable access to resources, and integration of students’ cultural, linguistic, and experiential backgrounds into the school community.

Guiding questions

• How can school leaders, leadership teams, and staff work together to create a vision statement that defines long-term goals and guides daily decisions and actions?
• How can the school consistently and genuinely emphasize the strengths of students, staff, families, and communities?
• What systems should be developed, or what practices should be implemented more regularly and purposefully to achieve the shared vision?

Resources to help create engaging conversations in the classroom

• From Deficit-Based to Assets-Based: Breaking Down the Wall One Essential Shift at Time, Part 1 (Language Magazine)
• From Deficit-Based to Assets-Based: Breaking Down the Wall One Essential Shift at a Time, Part 2 (Language Magazine)
• High-Quality Instruction in Action: Academic Vocabulary Development (WIDA Video Contest Winner)
• High-Quality Instruction in Action: Encouraging Communication in a New Language (WIDA Video Contest Winner)
• Social Justice Standards (Learning for Justice)