Decision Making Processes for School Administrators for Bilingual Programs

This study explores the decision-making process principals utilize when making instructional decisions for Limited English Proficient (LEP) students. This mixed-methods research design will facilitate an in depth look into the sources of data reviewed by principals when making decisions for LEP students. The stakeholders with whom principals collaborate on decisions impacting language program, language of instruction and language of assessment for LEP students. A convenient survey of elementary principals in one school district as well as follow up interviews was conducted. Results from this study demonstrate that principals are much more likely to discuss decisions affecting LEP students with teachers in state tested grades than with the Site Based Decision Making Committee or in Professional Learning Communities. Results, filtered by principal background, show that bilingual principals are more likely to utilize their LPAC when making decisions and are more likely to discuss decisions with the parents of LEP students. Future research into monitoring the implementation of the ESL component of bilingual programs and implementing a formative assessment for holding teachers accountable for the ESL component of the curriculum is discussed.