Examining IEPs of English Learners with Learning Disabilities for Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness

Effective education of English learners (ELs) with learning disabilities requires special educators to deliver culturally/linguistically responsive instruction within the context of special services, embracing the interaction between exceptionality and diversity. A critical concept is the notion that cultural and linguistic features are mandated by law to remain integral to teaching and learning once ELs are appropriately placed for special services. We examined a sampling of IEPs for ELs receiving special education for learning disabilities for cultural/linguistic responsive features to inform instruction. We found from our pilot study that the IEPs contain little to no reference to ELs' diverse linguistic and cultural qualities to (1) meet legislative mandates, and (2) guide delivery of appropriate special education. Practitioner implications for developing culturally and linguistically responsive IEPs are provided to support educators who teach ELs with learning disabilities.     

Bilingual and special educational needs in inclusive classrooms: some critical and pedagogical considerations

In the light of educational reforms aimed at promoting greater inclusive policies and practices, it is important to put a more pronounced emphasis on the needs of English language learners (ELLs) with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Simultaneously, a focus should also be placed on understanding and dealing with the disproportional representation of English language learners in special education categories. This dual and arguably sometimes mutually reinforcing phenomenon, along with its potential implications for education policy and practice, needs to be discussed against a convergent analytical framework drawn from bilingual and special education. The cross‐fertilisation of these disciplinary fields can provide a multimodal and comprehensive approach to meeting the intersectional needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students with special educational needs. To this end, it is important that issues of culture and language should become indispensable aspects of the special education knowledge base in inclusive classrooms.     

The stories we must tell: Developing a research agenda for multicultural and bilingual special education

Disproportion in special education based on race, ethnicity, language, and class persists. In this paper, we argue that to address this and other perpetual problems of underachievement for culturally and linguistically diverse children and youth requires examination of disability within its full sociocultural context and inclusion of the stories of those who are most affected by educational research, policy, and practice. We conducted a qualitative analysis of the existing professional literature of multicultural and bilingual special education published over 27 years in major special education journals to document omissions in the empirical research and conceptualize a research agenda around four themes: authenticity, legitimization, and multiplicity of voices; validation of culturally and linguistically responsive special education service delivery models and intervention; multicultural preparation of special educators; and underserved populations in special education.     

Self-determination for students with learning disabilities: Is it a universal value?

Teaching students with learning disabilities to be self-determining during postsecondary transition planning is considered beneficial for students. Few self-determination studies, however, have focused on the impact students' cultural identities may have on the practice of self-determination during transition planning. A review of self-determination literature is presented and includes concept definition, characteristics, and example components of model programs. Additionally, multicultural special education literature helps frame the need to consider the interplay between programs that promote self-determination and culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Qualitative research methods, used with student participants, have the potential to inform preferred practices as well as research gaps in special education by capturing how diverse students respond to self-determination during postsecondary transition planning.     

Enhancing preservice teachers’ motivation to teach diverse learners

This two-year mixed-method case study examined if and how a teacher preparation program can change preservice teachers' motivation to teach culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Survey data from Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) candidates demonstrated statistically significant changes in MATs' self-confidence for teaching diverse learners, their self-efficacy for culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP), their perception of the value of multicultural teaching, and in their interest in teaching diverse learners. Interview and focus group data identified explicit instruction on CRP, diverse practicum opportunities, and an emphasis on culturally-oriented self-inquiry as factors that enhanced teachers’ desire to teach diverse students.     

How is cultural diversity positioned in teacher professional standards? an international analysis

Unprecedented levels of global mobility mean that culturally homogenous classrooms are now increasingly rare. This brings with it challenges for teachers and raises issues about what constitutes quality teaching and teachers. Professional standards are commonly seen as a key policy instrument through which teacher quality can be enhanced. This article presents an analysis of teacher professional standards from five of the most culturally diverse nations in the English-speaking world. Using critical discourse analysis, we examine how culturally and linguistically diverse learners and culturally responsive pedagogy are positioned, and what the standards stipulate teachers should know, and be able to do, in fulfilling their professional obligations. We conclude by raising concerns about how the official representations of teaching in particular national contexts fail to position culturally diverse learners and culturally responsive teaching as a priority.     

Books received

The Brown v. Board of Education case of 1954 set the stage for addressing problems of educational and social inequities. It challenged prejudicial exclusion and supported nondiscriminatory exclusionary policies in general and special education programs. However, about 50 years later, culturally diverse learners are still excluded in educational programs through misidentification, misassessment, miscategorization, misplacement, and misinstruction-misintervention. It appears that 1 step forward and 2 steps backward have been taken. In this article, the authors examine the Brown case and its impact on the historical contexts of special education as they affect culturally diverse learners with exceptionalities.     

Guidelines for serving linguistically and culturally diverse young children

Demographic trends indicate that all early childhod educators must anticipate and plan for a more linguistically and culturally diverse student population. This article will serve as a guide for creating more effective early childhood programs serving linguistically and culturally diverse young children. The discussion includes demographic trends, second language acquisition research, historical trends in bilingual education, ESL and bilingual programs, controversies, assessment and ESL students, and program recommendations.     

Culturally Sustaining Practices in Content Area Instruction for CLD Students with Learning Disabilities

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students comprise a substantial population of students with learning disabilities, and are historically disproportionately represented in special education. To effectively teach CLD students with learning disabilities, teachers should integrate evidence‐based practices and culturally sustaining pedagogy in their practice. This article highlights several practical examples of culturally sustaining evidence‐based practices across the content areas of mathematics, reading, and writing. Suggestions for practice and future research are presented in the article.     

Policy Discourses and U.S. Language in Education Policies

Language in education policy for English language learners in the United States has varied significantly over time and has been shaped by policy discourses that could broadly be described as assimilationist (monolingual) and pluralist (multilingual) views of the role of linguistic and cultural diversity in schools. This article outlines the main arguments underlying these discourses, situating them as distinctly different societal conversations rather than mere opposites. Both discourses have historically been reflected in U.S. language policies at different times with different dimensions being highlighted within each discourse. At present time, the dominance of monolingual discourses is clear, although pluralistic spaces continue to resist monolingual trends. The article concludes with the need for constructing more pluralist discourses and proposes a framework that advocates for policies and practices that affirm cultural identities, promote additive multilingual learning environments, and support an integrative approach to the schooling of linguistically and culturally diverse learners.     

Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teaching: A Research Synthesis

The purpose of this article is to synthesize empirical research conducted on culturally responsive mathematics teaching (CRMT) with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners. Thirty-five published studies between 1993 and 2018 met the criteria for inclusion in this review. Criteria included: (a) the study was published in a peer-reviewed journal, (b) the study was conducted within a K-12 U.S. public school context with practicing teachers, (c) culturally responsive teaching or culturally relevant pedagogy was part of the study’s theoretical framework, and (d) information about methods was reported. Findings reveal the value of CRMT in fostering equitable and inclusive mathematics learning environments. More research on CRMT with CLD students in school settings is warranted. Implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed.

     

Six elements for technology integration in multicultural classrooms

Abstract

Although the number of computers in American schools multiplies, educational inequity remains evident in the area of technology. The socio-economically disadvantaged, the physically disabled, and the culturally and linguistically different have limited knowledge of and experiences with technology. Equitable access to technology requires the infusion of effective multicultural teaching strategies into educational technology use. These strategies must be broad enough to be inclusive of diverse learners, yet specific enough to be valuable as a guide to multicultural teaching. Similarly, they should allow for individual creativity and personal differences in teaching and learning. In this paper, the author proposes and defines six elements for integrating technology in culturally diverse classrooms: cultural awareness, cultural relevance, culturally supportive environment, equitable access, instructional flexibility, and instructional integration. These six elements are based on research on effective teaching of diverse students. They are not exhaustive of good instructional practices for technology use with diverse learners. Nevertheless, the author found their application in the evaluation of 32 technology-integrated units both informative and effective in identifying how teachers integrated computers for diverse learners. The author recognizes the need for further validation of these criteria and for research on effective teacher use of technology in multicultural settings.     

“We’ve been wastin’ a whole million watchin’ her doin’ her shoes” situated practice within a pedagogy of multiliteracies

Communication in society today is characterised by rapidly changing and emergent forms of meaning-making in a context of increased cultural and linguistic diversity. The need to teach these new literacy practices referred to as multiliteracies, is now embedded within systemic policies in Australia. This research paper is a response to these imperatives, releasing key findings of a critical ethnographic study concerning interactions between pedagogy and access to multiliteracies among culturally and linguistically diverse learners. A salient finding was that situated practice was enacted as an isolated stage rather than occurring concurrently with overt instruction. This had significant connections to some learners’ inability to access new, multimodal, and digitally-mediated designs of meaning. More importantly, culturally and linguistically non-students who were not of the dominant culture were least served by the separation of overt instruction and situated practice. The article concludes with the recommendation that multimodal meaning-making requires an instructional model that involves both practice and instruction.     

Celebrating Difference: Best Practices in Culturally Responsive Teaching Online

Culturally responsive teaching and design practices flip the online classroom by creating an environment that acknowledges, celebrates, and builds upon the cultural capital that learners and teachers bring to the online classroom. Challenges exist in all phases of online course design, including the ability to create online courses that reflect the instructor’s commitment to inclusive excellence, diversity, and social justice. Designing an online environment that supports all learners regardless of their backgrounds is important in their future success as professionals; thus, it is important for faculty to design courses with all students in mind. The purpose of this article is to share best practices in the design of culturally and linguistically responsive online courses that support the culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students we serve. Based on Gay’s (2010) culturally responsive teaching practices, this article provides examples of online activities that are validating; comprehensive; multi-dimensional; empowering; transformative, and emancipatory.     

Addressing Special Education Inequity Through Systemic Change: Contributions of Ecologically Based Organizational Consultation

Since the inception of special education, scholars and practitioners have been concerned about the disproportionate representation of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds among students identified with disabilities. Professional efforts to address this disproportionality have encompassed a range of targets, but scholars increasingly view disproportionality as a complex, multiply-determined problem that requires systemic change to ameliorate disparities. In this article, we describe a framework for systemic change to foster equity in special education identification and placement. We discuss the use of ecologically oriented organizational consultation as a means of facilitating systemic change, emphasizing the role of stakeholders, and the implications for school psychology practice and training.     

Educating Consultants for Multicultural Practice of Consultee-Centered Consultation

ABSTRACT

Literature about educating consultants with knowledge, skills, and dispositions to work effectively within culturally and linguistically diverse schools is scarce. Research suggests that additional attention is needed on the preparation of consultants to practice with multicultural competence. This article reviews theories and research and presents four educational strategies for preparing consultants for multicultural practice of consultee-centered consultation (CCC). Specific attention is given to ways that educators can teach and supervise learners of CCC by integrating issues of worldview, culture, and different perspectives, thereby scaffolding learning toward the development of multicultural competence in consultation.     

Culturally sensitive instructional practices for African-American learners with disabilities.

This article discusses the cultural and educational needs of African-American learners with disabilities. Six theoretical assumptions establish some basic suppositions about culturally and linguistically diverse learners and effective instructional practices. A review of the literature describes African-American cultural practices, interests, and cognitive styles; highlights the attitudes, perceptions, and instructional practices of effective teachers of African-American students; and includes patterns of teacher-student and peer-group interactions that promote high academic achievement among African-American learners. Recommendations include organizing teaching, learning, and performance in ways that are compatible with the social structure of African-American students with disabilities.     

“If Carmen Can Analyze Shakespeare,Everybody Can”: Positions,Conflicts, and Negotiations in the Narratives of Latina Pre-Service Teachers

This study, focusing on the life stories of three pre-service Latina teachers in the United States, explored how they positioned themselves as learners of English and teachers of Spanish in their oral narratives, and how their past experience as minority students shaped their current professional identity negotiations as language teachers. Positioning analysis of their narrative accounts indicated that these female teachers, throughout their education, felt different or isolated because of their ethnic identity, language background, and socioeconomic class. They negotiated memberships in different communities across settings in their lives. Understanding the conflicts and struggles that they experienced and unique strategies that they used to overcome them will hopefully provide insights for all teachers and teacher educators in linguistically and culturally diverse contexts.     

Pre- and in-service teachers’ beliefs about ELLs in content area classes: a case for inclusion,responsibility, and instructional support

This study documents differences between pre- and in-service content area teachers’ beliefs about: whether English language learners (ELLs) should be included in content area classes, the kind of instructional support (IS) they should receive, and responsibility for ELLs’ language and academic achievement. Questionnaire data were collected from 94 in-service and 101 pre-service content area teachers. Although several significant differences were found in pre- and in-service and female and male teachers’ beliefs about responsibility for ELLs’ language and academic development, both service and gender groups appeared to hold similar beliefs about ELLs’ inclusion in mainstream classes. Results also revealed that some beliefs held by female teachers about IS for ELLs significantly differed from those of males’; however, the effects of service and gender on certain beliefs may be contingent upon a number of background factors. The article concludes with pedagogical implications for teacher education for classrooms with linguistically and culturally diverse learners.     

Becoming a Parent of a Child with Special Needs: Perspectives from Korean Mothers Living in the United States

The current study aimed to explore how cultural contexts influence the attitudes of mothers raising children with disabilities. Semi-structured in-depth interviews of seven immigrant Korean mothers regarding their personal experiences within the complexities of the special education system in the United States were analysed to identify factors that help mothers to thrive in the face of numerous challenges they encountered when working with professionals from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Narratives revealed that support groups, parent–professional relationships and cultural norms served as motivational factors that encouraged mothers to take initiative in proactively seeking ways to meet the needs of their children. Findings highlight the importance of a professional’s genuine attitude and open-mindedness when approaching culturally and linguistically diverse families.