Promoting Equity for Multilingual Learners With Disabilities

This book examines the nature of equity for one of the most vulnerable populations of K–12 students—multilingual learners (MLs) with disabilities.

Drawing from a rich array of research and experiences as a teacher educator and policy consultant, the author demonstrates how MLs with disabilities encounter inequities in predictable, repeated ways throughout their schooling. Kangas establishes how these patterned inequities pervade education systems, school policies, and processes, ultimately stifling the learning opportunities and educational rights of students with intersecting language learning and disability needs.

Through concrete recommendations and helpful resources, the text empowers educators, researchers, and policymakers to detect and dismantle patterned inequities in their respective roles. This is an important guide for all stakeholders wishing to promote equitable learning and life opportunities for MLs with disabilities.

Book Features:

• Examines contemporary research across a range of topics (e.g., service provision, individualized plans, reclassification, and policy).
• Offers a lens for understanding the challenges and solutions to supporting multilingual learners with disabilities.
• Focuses on equity and social justice in education systems, classrooms, and policies.
• Written to be accessible for a wide range of stakeholders, including K–12 administrators and teachers, researchers, and policymakers.

Sara E. N. Kangas is an associate professor and director of the special education and ESL programs in the College of Education at Lehigh University.