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Libia S. Gil & Ana Díaz-Booz

Photograph of Libia S. Gil
Libia S. Gil
Senior Advisor, National High School Center

Libia S. Gil joined the American Institutes for Research to continue her work as the former Chief Academic Officer for New American Schools. In this capacity Dr. Gil provides senior counsel on leadership development initiatives and assists states and districts in developing strategies for improving student achievement by bridging research evidence with practice evidence. Dr. Gil is currently the lead consultant for the High School Renewal efforts on behalf of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the San Diego Unified School District. Dr. Gil was Superintendent of the Chula Vista Elementary School District for over nine years. In addition to multiple awards and honors, Dr. Gil received the 2002 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education for her outstanding leadership as Chula Vista Superintendent. The McGraw Prize is awarded annually to individuals who demonstrate exceptional contribution to the improvement of education systems. Additionally, Dr. Gil has received the Leadership Vision Award by the California Association of Bilingual Education in 2003. Dr. Gil has a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with emphasis on bilingual and multicultural education from the University of Washington.

Photograph of Ana Díaz-Booz
Ana Díaz-Booz
Principal, School of International Business (2008 California Distinguished High School )

Ana Díaz-Booz is the principal of the School of International Business (SIB) at the Kearny High Educational Complex in San Diego, California. Together with her instructional leadership team, teachers, and students, Ms. Díaz-Booz has helped SIB earn distinction in the areas of Title I achievement and "Fast-Track" junior college dual enrollment while posting a bronze medal in U.S. News and World Report's annual list of America's top high schools. In her school's short five-year history, SIB students have out-performed area high school students on statewide assessments in all English language learner (ELL) sub-groups and elevated the school's academic performance index each year.

As a first generation, bilingual student from a Spanish-speaking household, Ms. Díaz-Booz possesses a unique understanding of the struggles of ELL students in the nation's public schools and the importance of rigor and high expectations. She earned a BS in mathematics and a teaching credential from the University of California, San Diego. And after serving as a math teacher in the San Diego Unified School District, Ms. Díaz-Booz earned her master's degree and administrative services credential from the University of San Diego.

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English Language Learners

Question 4: What types of mediums do you use for communication with families of your ELL students, and how often?

Responded by: Ana Díaz-Booz (Principal, School of International Business)

Effective communication between the school site and the home is a tenet upon which we have developed our school’s action plan.  I have found it important to not rely upon a single set of traditional mediums of communication. Instead, we try to implement a comprehensive communication plan which addresses the cultural identity of our school site and the needs of our families.  Although we do utilize common forms of home communication such as a periodic home newsletter and direct mail letters to students’ families, we have, at times, seen our population not respond as eagerly to these methods as to others. For example, something as simple as the timing and wording of the information placed on the school’s electronic marquee can make a big difference. As working parents/guardians pass by the school or pick up their children, important notices are displayed and help clarify any lack of understanding about upcoming academic deadlines and events. In addition, the ConnectEd auto dialer system which allows me and other staff members to draft and record school-wide messages to be automatically delivered to the students’ homes and email addresses in several languages, is an important administrative tool. More importantly, however, would be the personal attention we pay to each and every student and their families. Rather than send periodic grades through the mail, we publicize, promote and celebrate Grade Night each semester. By holding an evening event with translators on hand to support parents speaking each of our primary second languages (Spanish and Vietnamese) we have found that the grading period ends as a culmination of student achievement and an important opportunity for families and teachers to touch base. It is at such events as these that parents can learn to become familiar with our school’s most recent effort to maintain open communication. Lastly, ParentConnect is an online resource for parents to check their child’s most recent grades and attendance, receive updates on their most current progress and become a more positive force in the classroom, all from the comfort of their own home or workplace.