03/05/2025
By Zakkiyya Witherspoon
Candidate: Yalitza Vasquez
Degree: Doctoral- Leadership in Schooling
Defense Date: Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Remote Zoom link
Thesis/Dissertation Title: Unlocking Potential: Supporting Elementary School Principals in Leading Multilingual Learners in The Bronx
Dissertation Committee
Dissertation Chair: Phitsamay Uy Ed.D. Associate Professor, Leadership in Schooling, Graduate Coordinator for Ed.D Programs, and Co-director of Center for Asian American Studies School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Dissertation Committee Member: Linda Riley, Ed.D. School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Dissertation Committee Member: James H. Nehring, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus, Leadership in Schooling of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Abstract
National and local data highlight the significant achievement gap between Multilingual Learners (MLLs) and their peers, particularly in the Bronx, New York, where MLLs face low academic proficiency rates. This study explored the impact of a five-week, job-embedded professional development intervention on two novice elementary school principals, each with less than two years of experience, in schools with 15% and 18% MLL populations. The intervention aimed to enhance principals' knowledge of MLL instruction, improve their self-efficacy, and shift their perceptions of their leadership roles in supporting MLLs.
The findings validate the theory of improvement, demonstrating that targeted job-embedded professional development on culturally responsive leadership and MLL instructional strategies significantly enhanced principals' self-efficacy and leadership capacity. Principals developed a deeper understanding of culturally responsive practices and instructional leadership, shifting from delegating tasks to direct engagement in MLL success. This shift reflects the importance of addressing key drivers such as systemic support and equity for MLLs.