Culturally Diverse Families

Working with children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds poses special challenges to early childhood educators. This article adresses the challenges and the keys to developing effective and collaborative relationships with culturally diverse communities. 

RTI: Implications for Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners

Response to Intervention (RtI) for the identification of students with specific learning disability (SLD) who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) and who may additionally be English language learners (ELLs).¹ The process for determining whether students’ difficulties are due to the normal process of English language acquisition or limited opportunity for acculturative knowledge acquisition rather than a disability is neither well understood nor applied by school personnel, and students acquiring English often display similar characteristics to students with an SLD (Collier, 2011).

new video | webpage view | donate | share     Considerations for English Language Learners     November 21, 2014       Join Us Online!       Find more resources:RTI Action Network     Connect with us: If you have not signed up for the RTI Action Update newsletter, sign up now!         Donate Now >           Need RTI Help?       The RTI Action Network has developed a new online planning tool to help educators successfully implement RTI K-6. Now available from Corwin Press!       The identification of students with SLD who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) and who may additionally be English language learners (ELLs) can be challenging as students acquiring English often display similar characteristics to students with SLD. In Considerations for English Language Learners, Drs. Claudia Rinaldi, Samuel Ortiz, and Sue Gamm provide guiding questions and recommendations for educators when implementing an RTI-based approach to SLD determination for CLD students.   Beginning with the Whole Mind - Florida’s Systems Approach to RTI Created to accompany the Toolkit, this case study highlights the Florida Department of Education’s intentional and coordinated use of a multi-tier system of supports (MTSS) framework to increase the proficiency of all students within one seamless, efficient system. In Beginning with the Whole Mind, Deborah Telfer provides information about the process used by the Florida Department of Education, the associated outcomes of their work, the challenges experienced, and the team’s advice to other SEAs. Case studies featuring work being done in Colorado, Kansas, and Pennsylvania are also available on RTInetwork.org.   Upcoming Webinar: RTI-Based Specific Learning Disability Identification Toolkit  December 9, 2014 at 3 p.m. ET  Moderated by Stevan J. Kukic, with Panelists: Candace Cortiella, Bill East, Susan Gorin, Luann Purcell, and James Wendorf  Join this free webinar to gain an understanding of how a Response to Intervention (RTI) process should guide identification. Panelists will explore NCLD's new online RTI-Based Specific Learning Disability Identification Toolkit and discuss best practices for the special education identification process.  RSVP Today!   RTI with English Language Learners  The RTI Action Network offers instructional videos highlighting important issues related to realizing the potential of RTI, including a series featuring the late Dr. Janette Klingner discussing how to implement RTI with respect to English Language Learners (ELLs).      News and Announcements   Scholarship Opportunities from NCLD  The Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarships offer financial assistance to two graduating seniors with documented learning disabilities (LD) who are pursuing post-secondary education.The Anne Ford Scholarship is a $10,000 scholarship ($2,500/year over four years) granted to a graduating high school senior with a documented learning disability who will be enrolled in a full-time bachelor’s degree program in the fall of 2015. The Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship is a $2,500 one-time scholarship awarded to a graduating high school senior with a documented learning disability who will be enrolled in a two-year community college, a vocational or technical training program, or a specialized program for students with LD in the fall of 2015.  Share the scholarship applications with your students      Founding Partners: AFT, IRA, NAESP, NASDSE, NASP, NASSP, and NEA.  381 Park Avenue South, Suite 1401 | New York, NY 10016 Ph: 212.545.7510 | Fax: 212.545.9665 | Toll-free: 888.575.7373 National Center for Learning Disabilities © 2014 All rights reserved.       NCLD is listed by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All gifts made to NCLD are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Unsubscribe | Forward to a Friend | Donate | Free Newsletters