CALSA Summer Institute 2026

Disproportionate identification of multilingual learners in special education, particularly within the category of Specific Learning Disability (SLD), continues to challenge school systems striving to ensure equitable access and opportunity for all students. Although federal law requires multidisciplinary teams to rule out exclusionary factors such as limited English proficiency, lack of appropriate instruction, and environmental influences, these factors are not always consistently or systematically analyzed during the eligibility decision-making process.
This session focuses on how educational leaders can strengthen district and site-level systems that support more equitable referral and evaluation practices. Participants will explore common systemic patterns that contribute to disproportionality, including inconsistent implementation of pre-referral intervention systems, limited documentation of instructional opportunities, and the absence of structured protocols for analyzing cultural, linguistic, and environmental context during evaluations.
Grounded in research and leadership practice, this session introduces culturally responsive tools designed to help multidisciplinary teams systematically analyze contextual factors prior to determining eligibility. Participants will explore practical implementation resources for districts, including referral review protocols for administrators, eligibility meeting facilitation guides for psychologists, and structured reflection tools that support teams in examining instructional access, language development, and environmental influences.
Through discussion and applied examples, participants will consider how leaders can align MTSS practices, evaluation procedures, and team decision-making processes to strengthen equity in assessment. Educational leaders will leave with practical strategies and tools to support multidisciplinary teams, improve referral and eligibility systems, and build structures that promote more equitable decision-making for multilingual learners and students from diverse backgrounds.