Abstract
This study examined in depth how three elementary school principals in an urban school district in Massachusetts, in collaboration with a District Central Office Executive, revamped the Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) program in their schools so that more English Learner (EL) students could show significant progress in their academic achievement and English proficiency. It describes why these programs were faltering, what changes they set in motion to turn it around, what obstacles and challenges they faced, and what they have accomplished so far. It also explored what has been learned in the process to strengthen the programs, expanded it to all schools in the district and made them sustainable. Four major changes were highlighted: the addition of a Sheltered English Immersion Program Cycle Review (SEI-PCR) component to the program; the adoption of a Whole Child Support Team (WCST) approach; the reconstitution of school-based teams for EL students and Special Education students; and the strategic use of a more collaborative leadership style that emphasizes teamwork, shared decision making and unity of purpose “…In the belief that useful information and creative solutions can be found anywhere in the organization and should be shared in the leadership process” (Owens & Valesky, 2015, p. 274).