Stakeholder Insights and Narratives at the Intersection of Dual Language Bilingual Education and Special Education

• In Event: Interrogating Access to Bilingual Programs for Multilingual Learners with Disabilities

Abstract

Objectives/Purposes
This study explored the intersection of Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) and special education by examining stakeholder narratives—caregivers, educators, and administrators—supporting students with diverse learning needs, including Emergent Bilinguals Labeled as Disabled (EBLADs) and English Proficient Students Labeled as Disabled (EPLADs). Adopting an intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1991) and social constructivist view of disability (Hogan, 2019), we drew on qualitative interviews to identify critical moments of dissonance, negotiation, and advocacy within the narratives of DLBE stakeholders.

Methods and Data Sources
This qualitative study draws from a university–district partnership examining DLBE implementation in a Texas school district including 50 interviews with stakeholders in DLBE schools. This article focused on a subset of 16 participants—six caregivers, eight teachers, and two administrators—from four schools who spoke unprompted and directly to the challenges and possibilities at the DLBE-SPED intersection. All four schools were implementing a two-way DLBE program serving both students labeled as English learners (ELs) and non-ELs. The student populations were predominantly Latino/a and economically disadvantaged. Most participants, including all caretakers, identified as Latino/a. Using Seidman’s (2006) in-depth interviewing approach, the research foregrounds lived experiences. Interview data were translated, transcribed, and collaboratively reviewed using thematic and narrative analysis to identify patterns and tensions in stakeholder accounts.

Results
We organized our findings around three themes: (a) persistent systemic challenges in identifying EBLADs and EPLADs in DLBE; (b) caregiver and teacher advocacy amid structural barriers; and (c) the role of DLBE in supporting bilingualism for students with diverse learning needs. Stakeholders expressed frustration and uncertainty on timely (i.e. “For her to get the testing, it was damn near impossible”) and accurate assessment (“I haven't received enough information”) of students with diverse learning needs, yet teachers and educators found ways to navigate the system. For example, Ms. Marquez, a fifth-grade teacher, explained how she advocated for the right of a mother to get disability services in Spanish, and ultimately took it upon herself, “So I just decided to learn the program, and I did the dyslexia intervention myself.” Participants recognized the value of DLBE for positive bilingual and cultural identity development. As Nelly, an English dominant Latina and caregiver of a first-grade EPLAD with dyslexia and ADHD, described, “We were learning about our culture, learning things that have gotten lost in the generations.”

Scientific/Scholarly Significance
This study contributes to the growing but still limited body of research at the intersection of DLBE and SPED, offering insights into systemic issues and opportunities from the perspectives of DLBE stakeholders. The findings underscore the disproportionate burden placed on families and teachers to secure appropriate services through individual advocacy because of the lack of integration of DLBE and SPED services. This study also revealed DLBE’s potential as a space for identity development and linguistic reclamation for EBLADs and EPLADs.

Authors

• Briseida E. Tijerina M. Cardoza, University of Texas - San Antonio

• Kathryn I. Henderson, University of Texas - San Antonio

• Zhongfeng Tian, Rutgers University - Newark

• Carly C. Leech, The University of Texas at San Antonio