Educators’ sensemaking and leaders’ sensegiving of an ESL endorsement policy

Abstract

In the United States, most Multilingual Learners (MLs) are taught by general educators who require training to support them effectively. This qualitative case study investigates local policymaking in a small, culturally diverse Illinois district that mandated a district-wide ESL endorsement for teachers. Drawing on interviews with district and school-level educators and an analysis of policy documents, the study examines (a) the policy goals that guided the development of the endorsement requirement, (b) how leaders engaged in sensegiving to frame and communicate these goals, and (c) how educators made sense of and enacted the policy in their professional contexts. Findings showed that district leaders framed the policy as a reform focused on equity. Their professional backgrounds in bilingual education shaped how they communicated this vision. While educators generally supported these goals, they had different interpretations of the policy. Key factors influencing their sensemaking included their confidence and perceived preparedness to teach MLs. The study contributes to research on policy implementation and ML education by demonstrating that shared outcome goals (in this case, equity for MLs) are not sufficient to ensure coherent policy enactment when goals leading the implementation process, such as efficiency and teacher welfare, remain in tension and are not collectively negotiated.