Special Education

Learners who are Culturally and/or Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Suspected of Having Educational Disabilities

The appropriate referral, identification, and placement of learners who are Culturally and/or Linguistically Diverse is necessary to ensure students' civil rights as well as a free and appropriate public education aligned with the individuals with Disabilities Education Act.  Resources, opportunities for trainings and workshops as well as links to other sources of information on this topic are available below.

Links within the Colorado Department of Education

• Response to Intervention (RtI)
• Language, Culture and Equity
• Early Childhood Initiatives
• School View

Resources

• Fast Facts
  • Fast Fact:  Critical Questions about the Special Education Process for Culturally and/or Linguistically Diverse Learners (PDF)
  • Fast Fact:  Cultural Mediators (PDF)
  • Fast Fact:  Dynamic Assessment (PDF)
  • Fast Fact:  CALLA - Implementing Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (PDF)
• Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs - contact person:  Carol Harvey
  • Native American Resources (PDF)
• Can-Do Descriptors for WIDA Levels of English Language Proficiency (PDF)
• Speaking/Writing Rubrics of the WIDA Consortium (PDF)
• English Language Proficiency Standards Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 5 (PDF)
• English Language Proficiency Standards Grade 6 through Grade 12 (PDF)
• World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Resource Guide (PDF)
• World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Performance Definitions (PDF)
• RtI Guidebook (PDF)
• SLD Guidelines (PDF)
• Glossary and Additional Articles (PDF)

PowerPoint Presentations

• State of the State 2011 (PDF)
• SLD Considerations for Learners Who Are CLD (PPT)
• Cultural Mediation: Building Bridges (PDF)

For more information, please contact:

Fran Herbert, Principal Consultant
Phone: (303) 866-6604

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