Which action would most effectively promote equity by addressing disproportionality in special education for culturally and linguistically diverse students?

• A. Increase identification of ELL students in special education
• B. Examining the district's assessment practices for all students to determine whether the assessment instruments used are valid and unbiased
• C. Lower the eligibility criteria for special education
• D. Focus on improving classroom management rather than evaluation

Answer: (B)

Ensuring assessment practices are valid and unbiased is essential to promote equity for culturally and linguistically diverse students. Disproportionality in special education often comes from biased or inaccurate assessment tools and referral procedures that misinterpret language differences or cultural factors as disabilities. By examining and improving district assessment practices—making sure instruments are appropriate for diverse learners, properly translated, normed on representative populations, and supplemented by multiple measures and contextual data—you help ensure that only students with genuine needs are identified for services. This approach targets the underlying measurement biases that drive over- or under-identification and supports fair eligibility decisions within a comprehensive evaluation framework. Increasing identification, lowering eligibility criteria, or focusing only on classroom management would not address these biases and could worsen inequities.