Assessing Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students : A Practical Guide

This is the first book to present a practical, problem-solving approach and hands-on tools and techniques for assessing English-language learners and culturally diverse students in K-12 settings. It meets a crucial need among practitioners and special educators working in today's schools. Provided are research-based, step-by-step procedures for conducting effective interviews with students, parents, and teachers; making the best use of interpreters; addressing special issues in the prereferral process; and conducting accurate, unbiased assessments of academic achievement, intellectual functioning, language proficiency, and acculturation. Among the book's special features are reproducible worksheets, questionnaires, and checklists--including several in both English and Spanish--in a ready-to-use, large-size format.

1. English-Language Learners in U.S. Public Schools: A Heterogeneous Population 2. Disproportionate Representation of Diverse Students in Special Education: Understanding the Complex Puzzle 3. Legal and Ethical Requirements for the Assessment of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students 4. Bilingual Education and Second-Language Acquisition: Implications for Assessment and School-Based Practice 5. Prereferral Considerations for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students 6. The Use of Interpreters in the Assessment Process and School-Based Practice 7. The Interview Process: Practical Guidelines 8. Acculturation Factors in Psychoeducational Assessment 9. Language Proficiency Assessment: The Foundations for Psychoeducational Assessment of Second-Language Learners 10. Conceptual Measurement and Methodological Issues in Cognitive Assessment of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Individuals 11. Cognitive Assessment of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Individuals: An Integrated Approach 12. Assessment of Academic Achievement: Practical Guidelines