ABSTRACT
This second dimension of educating CLD students, cultivating language proficiency, is perhaps the most obvious—and most politicized—of the three. Again, recall the vignettes in the opening chapter, illustrating various school leaders. The demographics of the school populations each school leader faced vary markedly. The New Mainstream is heterogeneous. Yet across all these settings, school leaders are charged with cultivating language proficiency. One part of this is obvious: Clearly, schools play a central role in ensuring that all CLD students develop proficiency in English. Yet another part of this dimension is highly politicized, since this dimension is deliberately focused on cultivating language—a broader perspective than just the specific language of English. As we show in this chapter, empirical literature can help you develop a broad perspective in your school leadership.
