Educators working with English learners face challenges beyond teaching academic content in languages new to the students. The added layer of problem-solving for those who may have exceptional needs and providing the appropriate support can be a complex process that involves careful decision making. This book provides a discussion of…

Special educators assume an essential leadership role in school-wide multilayered instructional systems for teaching culturally and linguistically diverse learners with and without disabilities, including learners at risk of being inappropriately referred for special education. Research findings from a model demonstration project are presented…

In its decision in "Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) v. State of New York," the New York Court of Appeals held that the state government was violating New York City students' right under the state constitution to the "opportunity for a sound basic education." It ordered the state to fix the education funding system to remedy…

This report is meant as an imperative wake-up call for expanding the prevailing focus of school improvement policy and practice. The report provides analyses of responses from state departments of education, school districts, and leadership organizations about how they are pursuing the opportunity the "Every Student Succeeds Act"…

Although Response to Intervention (RTI) has been generally studied in relation to student outcomes, the system itself requires further study, particularly for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. CLD students have consistently suffered inequities in the educational system, including over representation in high incidence disability…

This manual details the instructional framework and guidance on the Response to Intervention (RtI) process in New Mexico. The manual includes: (1) a section on each of the three instructional tiers; (2) a glossary of key terms; (3) sample forms to assist with the Student Assistance Team (SAT) process; and (4) key resources for teachers.

Children adopted from foreign countries, especially those who were in an orphanage, may experience greater difficulties than culturally or linguistically diverse children who do not come from such a background. Delays in learning language and, consequently, slower cognitive and social development, can undermine the academic success of these…

English-language learners (ELLs) with special needs consistently languish in the American school system. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) included ELLs as a minority group and required to hold schools accountable for reducing the achievement gap between ELLs and their white peers, however the act did not provide a specific direction for…

In absence of an existing framework to assess the state's compliance with the court order in "Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) v. State of New York," which guarantees all students the right to an adequate education, the Campaign's first report creates an operational definition for sound basic education. Drawing on relevant state…

Reading difficulties and disabilities present serious and potentially lifelong challenges. Children who do not read well are more likely to be retained a grade in school, drop out of high school, become a teen parent, or enter the juvenile justice system. Building on the extant research and seminal studies, including the National Reading Panel and…