This academic research session presents findings from a Dissertation in Practice examining the overrepresentation of Latine students identified with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) in elementary school settings. Grounded in Improvement Science, the study investigated the systems, practices, and decision-making processes that contributed to disproportionate identification. The research focused on how culturally and linguistically aligned instructional practices, professional learning, and data-driven team processes could improve referral, intervention, and evaluation decisions for Latine students.The study was situated in a suburban Pacific Northwest school district and centered the role of a biliteracy specialist in supporting equitable systems change. Using root cause analysis, inquiry cycles, professional development, and culturally responsive data practices, the study explored how educators could better distinguish between language development, literacy skill needs, instructional opportunity gaps, and potential disability.Findings suggest that reducing disparities in special education requires more than individual student-level decisions. It requires systemic attention to MTSS implementation, culturally responsive practices, multilingual assessment data, family engagement, and collaborative decision-making. Implications for policy and practice include strengthening pre-referral systems, using culturally and linguistically aligned data before special education evaluation, and building educator capacity to make equitable decisions for multilingual learners.Research Questions:What systems and practices contribute to the overrepresentation of Latine students identified with Specific Learning Disabilities?How can culturally and linguistically aligned MTSS practices improve referral and evaluation decision-making?How does professional learning and collaborative data use support more equitable outcomes for Latine students?Theoretical Framing:This study is framed through equity-centered Improvement Science, culturally responsive pedagogy, and culturally and linguistically aligned MTSS. The work assumes that disproportionality is not only a student outcome issue, but also a systems issue shaped by assessment practices, instructional access, language development, educator beliefs, and decision-making structures.Methods:The study used Improvement Science methodology, including problem analysis, root cause identification, Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, professional learning, and data-based decision-making. Data sources included educator feedback, team decision-making artifacts, referral and eligibility patterns, and evidence of culturally and linguistically aligned practices within MTSS and intervention processes.Findings:The study found that teams needed clearer systems for analyzing language, literacy, instruction, and intervention response before moving toward special education referral. Professional development and structured data conversations increased educator capacity to consider cultural and linguistic factors in decision-making. The role of the biliteracy specialist was central in helping teams interpret multilingual learner data, apply an asset-based lens, and improve alignment between instruction, intervention, and evaluation.
Thursday November 5, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am
PST
Salon 6
