Implementing language policy: Exploring concerns of school principals

Arizona voters, legislators, and state officials crafted a new language policy affecting the instruction of English Language Learners (ELLs) that went into effect in 2007. This policy, labeled by the Arizona Department of Education as the "Structured English Immersion" (SEI) model, mandated that all ELLs receive four hours daily of English Language Development. The purpose of this study was to analyze the theoretical framing and the juxtaposition of this new language policy with implementation at school sites. Eight principals provided interview data that gathered their perspectives on implementing the SEI model using a modified version of Seidman's "three interview series." Two conceptual frameworks further assisted with the data analysis. Yanow's Interpretive Policy Analysis explored state documents to determine their level of guidance regarding the implementation of language policy at the school level. Hall & Hord's Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) identified and documented principals' levels of concern regarding their need to implement the new policy while meeting the language needs of ELLs. Triangulation analyses yielded school principals' awareness of the legal requirements of the SEI model, but they did not consistently enforce the prescribed minutes for each area as outlined by the Arizona Department Education Task Force. Principals interpreted and implemented the law according to what best fits their school population, although there were concerns regarding the model. Three significant concerns emerged with the SEI four hour language model: (1) violates segregation laws, (2) lack of funding, and (3) fear of confronting possible ramifications for not implementing the mandate.