Alba A. Ortiz, Professor Emeritus The University of Texas at Austin College of Education

1. Pursuing Educational Justice for Diverse Exceptional Learners Through a Cultural Lens: Implications for Interventions Alba A. Ortiz, Professor Emeritus The University of Texas at Austin College of Education Department of Special Education

2. What culturally responsive evidence-based practices show promise with English Language Learners?

3. Positive School Climates • Strong leadership by principals • High expectations for all students • Safe and orderly school environment • Professional learning communities • Shared decision making • Diversity goals that are shared • Shared knowledge base related to the education of English Language Learners (ELLs) • Linguistic and cultural responsiveness • Collaborative school, home, and community relationships BESt ERA, 2009

4. Positive School Climates • Well-implemented bilingual education and English as a second language programs that assure that students meet high academic standards in the native language (L1) and/or in English as a second language (L2) • Universal screening and benchmarking systems for L1 and L2 achievement and language proficiency, consistent with the language of instruction (BESt ERA, 2009)

5. Positive School Climates • Systematic, longitudinal evaluation of student progress and corresponding record keeping (L1 and L2) • Effective responses to student difficulty, including well-implemented campus-based problem-solving teams, with expertise specific to ELLs • Mechanisms in place for mentoring new personnel BESt ERA, 2000)

6. Effective Core Instruction:(80 to 85% of ELLs on grade level) • An effective core curriculum for ELLs • Positively reflects diversity (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, language, culture, [dis]abilities, and multicultural perspectives • Is free of stereotypes and deficit orientations • Academically rich programs • Aligned with state and district academic standards • Data-based decision making • Universal screening, benchmarking, and progress monitoring, consistent with the language of instruction • Emphasis on higher-order skills • Systematic, explicit instruction

7. Effective Core Instruction • LanguageNativelanguage instruction • English as a Second Language instruction • Meaningful language use across the curriculum • Individualized language planning • Thematic instruction • Collaborative learning • Scaffolding • Meaningful, continuous family involvement (BESt ERA, 2013)

8. Effective Core Instruction: • Culturally Responsive Teachers: • Demonstrate an affirming attitude toward CLD students. • Activate prior knowledge (funds of knowledge) • Actively respond to, and utilizes, diverse cultural norms and behaviors • Teach alternative styles and behaviors that may be needed in different contexts with different audiences (e.g., cooperation vs. independence). (Lucas & Villegas, 2002; Gallimore & Goldenburg, 2002; Gay, 2002)

9. How can culturally responsive evidence-based interventions contribute to the elimination of the achievement and discipline gaps that exist between racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse students and the majority?

10. Contribution to Closing Achievement and Discipline Gaps • A well-qualified teaching force is at the heart of any effort to enhance educational opportunity(National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, 1996; Darling-Hamond, 1997) • Strategies that convey respect for students and affirm their differences produce favorable academic results (Gay, 2000; Irvine, 1990; Ladson-Billings, 1994; Lucas, et al., 1990).

11. Contribution to Closing Achievement and Discipline Gaps • Sociocultural consciousness influences teachers’ thinking and behavior which, in turn, influences student outcomes. • The students who do best are those whose parents are involved in their education. • Engage parents/families in genuine dialogue about their children and their hopes and expectations for them. • Invite parents to participate in explicit ways in their children’s schooling; accept differences in levels of involvement. (Cotton & Wikeland, 1989; Berger, 1995; Dauber & Epstein,1993; Caskey, 2008)

12. What are the major challenges to integrating culturally responsive content and experiences into teacher preparation programs to produce culturally competent special educators?

13. Challenges to Personnel Preparation • Studies of teacher perceptions of their ability to serve CLD students indicate that: • Teachers do not feel competent to teach or provide clinical services to diverse populations, particularly when language or dialects are involved. • Neither teacher preparation programs nor professional development opportunities provide sufficient content about diversity or the necessary support to help teachers implement new knowledge and skills in their classrooms. (Darling-Hammond, et al., 2009; Joshi, et al., 2009; Ballantyne, et al., 2008)

14. Challenges to Teacher Preparation • Faculty do not agree on a philosophy and approach to preparing teachers to serve CLD students. • Lack of dialogue allows problems to brew, get more serious over time, breeds resentment and finger-pointing. • Reduced commitment of parties • Abandonment of efforts • Return to business as usual

15. Challenges to Personnel Preparation • Faculty do not have control over student recruitment and admission into personnel preparation programs. • Teacher education students often have limited experience with, or knowledge about, CLD populations • Faculty wishing to revamp the curriculum to address diversity meet resistance from those in positions of power • Faculty themselves lack knowledge/expertise specific to diversity. (Kea, Trent, & Davis, 2002; Gallimore & Goldenburg, 2002; Cochran-Smith, Davis, & Fries, 2004;)

16. Challenges to Personnel Preparation • Approaches to delivery of content may be ineffective. • General infusion • Single course • Training is compromised by inadequate resources (e.g., lack of high-quality field sites, insufficient university resources. • Tenure and promotion systems are not supportive of faculty who involve themselves in teacher preparation and supervision of field experiences (Sindelar, Brownell, & Billingsley, 2010)