Leading Toward Equity in Bilingual Education: Leadership Actions in a Reconceptualization of a Common Literacy Assessment Routine

Abstract

This article presents a case study that examined leaders’ actions within a Spanish/English two-way immersion program as they guided teachers in a critical analysis of a common literacy assessment routine. The intent of this research was to move toward a more equitable reconceptualization of the literacy assessment routine and ultimately work to disaffirm deficit views of emergent bilingual learners often perpetuated by conventional assessment practices. This examination relied on the framework of transformative leadership and linguistically responsive schooling. Findings reveal the leaders established a critical bilingual stance, enacted bilingual pedagogical spaces, and fostered the development of a bilingual community identity. The authors contend the critically transformative leader is key to the sustainability of equitable practices as they act to support, sustain, and deepen the critical aspect of professional learning communities and influence pedagogical change. Although focused on the ever-expanding field of bilingual education, the outcomes of this work address all leaders who seek to create equity in their diverse school communities and uphold culture and language as assets to learning.