Leading Welcoming and Inclusive Schools for Newcomer Students: A Conceptual Framework

ABSTRACT

Schools with dramatically increased immigrant and refugee student populations need a systematic approach and inclusive process to ensure newcomer students, who differ in their backgrounds, languages, identities, frames of reference, prior educational experiences, abilities, interests, and belief systems, have equal opportunities and resources to thrive and succeed in schools. Based on a two-year qualitative study examining the key actors and strategies in building welcoming and inclusive schools for newcomer students, this article introduces a conceptual framework with key dimensions and strategies for guiding culturally responsive and socially just school leadership praxis.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The study reported in this article was funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Canada.