Learning in a New Land: School Leadership in Support of Refugee Students

ABSTRACT

School leaders and teachers need to be prepared to maximize the potential and meet the diverse needs of the changing student demographics in K-12 schools. This qualitative inquiry of one district’s elementary campus examined a principal’s leadership efforts to support refugee students’ educational experiences. To achieve the purpose of this study, we conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with the principal, administrative team, teachers, and parents of refugee students. Our findings illustrate the ways in which the enactment of core principal practices, such as setting vision and direction, creating a climate conducive for teaching and learning, building capacity, and instructional leadership were central to the principal’s leadership approach.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.