A Culture of Collaboration: Meeting the Instructional Needs of Adolescent English Language Learners

This article details a study that focused on the supports that enabled an English language learner (ELL) facilitator to contribute to a culture of collaboration between the English as a Second Language (ESL) and Language Arts Departments to more effectively meet the instructional needs of ELLs in one culturally and linguistically diverse high school. Findings emphasize the importance of (1) a supportive leadership context for inclusion of ELLs and the ELL facilitator's work, (2) schoolwide supports for ELLs, and (3) collaboration and influence of the literacy team. The article describes the contributions of the ELL facilitator to the culture of collaboration between the ESL and Language Arts Departments, analyzes the structures and organization of the school context that contributed to this collaborative work to meet the instructional needs of ELLs, and discusses the importance of these findings for both research and practice.