Implementing Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Special Education Eligibility Assessment in Rural County Elementary Schools: Pilot Project

Abstract

Consideration of cultural and linguistic features is mandated by law and one of the most important contributors to the appropriate placement of diverse learners for special education services. This article describes the results of a pilot project designed to assist rural educators to deliver an equitable and unbiased assessment process for English learners (ELs) in Grades K–5. Project setting was a remote rural county district in a mountain Western state with a significant percentage of ELs in special education. Project findings illuminate the importance of incorporating cultural and linguistic features into the special education assessment process for ELs. Results also include a process for examining an assessment body of evidence from competing perspectives to increase objectivity. Recommendations for rural educator preparation and district assessment processes are provided.

Preparing Educators for Developing Culturally and Linguistically Responsive IEPs

“…Authors who have addressed cultural and language within the context of special education frequently concentrate on topics such as the referral and assessment processes (e.g., Hoover & Erickson, 2015; Hoover, Erickson, Herron, & Smith, in press-b; Klingner & Harry, 2006; Ortiz, Robertson Wilkinson, Liu, McGhee, & Kushner, 2011), transition (Greene, 2011; Patton & Trainor, 2008; Trainor, 2017; Trainor, Murray, & Kim, 2016), and family involvement (Harry & Klingner, 2006). Often, these topics begin with the prereferral and referral process to ensure that appropriate strategies are used to determine that student knowledge and language proficiency skills are properly assessed to differentiate between English language acquisition and learning disabilities (Klingner, Artiles, & Barletta, 2006).…”