Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-8-2025
Publication Title
Psychology in the Schools
Abstract
This paper examines the ethical and legal considerations in providing services to multilingual learners (MLs) before special education evaluations, focusing on the decision-making process within Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). Legal mandates require districts to ensure MLs have equitable access to the general education curriculum and are provided with language support before special education assessment. However, school teams often face ethical and logistical challenges navigating MLs through MTSS, especially when employing a “one size fits all” approach. The unique needs of MLs may be overlooked, leading to misinterpretation of language differences as learning disabilities. Drawing on Armistead et al.'s (2011) problem-solving model and the National Association of School Psychologists' ethical guidelines, practical and actionable recommendations are provided for adapting MTSS to meet MLs' needs and foster culturally and linguistically responsive MTSS.
Recommended Citation
Rodríguez Robles, Arnold; Quirk, Matthew; Paul, Meghna; Perez, Emmanuel; McGuinness, Julian; Dowdy, Erin; Grande Gonzalez, Emily; Zavala Lara, Claudia; and Draper-Rodriguez, Catherine, "Culturally and Linguistically Responsive MTSS: Ethical and Actionable Strategies for Supporting Multilingual Learners in Multi-Tiered Frameworks" (2025). Education and Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations. 4.
https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/educ_fac/4
Comments
Published in Psychology in the Schools by Wiley. Available via doi: 10.1002/pits.23533.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.