Investigating the Intersectional Gap for Multilingual Students in Special Education

Abstract

Plain language abstract
This article employs a critical dis/abilities raciolinguistic perspective to explore how home language influences general education (GE) participation for students in special education. We build on findings that dually classified students (i.e., English Learners [EL] and disabled) have limited access to inclusive education compared to non-EL peers, a disparity described as an intersectional gap. We explore another intersectional gap, hypothesizing that special education students from homes using languages other than English (i.e., multilingual in this study) are affected regardless of English-proficiency or EL designation. Analysis shows multilingual students spent 5.23 percentage points less time in GE weekly than peers from English-only homes, controlling for demographic, economic, and achievement variables. English proficiency did not moderate outcome. This research calls for educational policies that address raciolinguistic and disability discrimination. Additionally, this study signals the need to account for home language in addition to EL designation to counteract and prevent unintended intersectional gaps.

Formal abstract
Purpose: This article employs a critical dis/abilities raciolinguistic perspective to explore if multilingual students are affected by an intersectional gap, a phenomenon whereby students with intersectional identities have limited access to inclusive education (Cioè-Peña, 2017). We hypothesize that home language (i.e., English-only versus multilingual) influences general education (GE) participation among students in special education, regardless of English proficiency.
Method: Our secondary analysis of the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study data included 4,115 children. We used mixed-effect linear models, with the proportion of time in GE as the dependent variable and multilingual status as the primary explanatory variable, controlling for demographic, economic, and achievement-related factors.
Results: We found that multilingual students were estimated to spend an average of 5.23 percentage points less time in GE per week than their English-only peers (p < 0.01), controlling for relevant variables. The effect size was 0.15. English proficiency did not significantly moderate this disparity.
Conclusion: Highlighting a persistent marginalization for multilingual students labeled as disabled, this research calls for educational policies that address the nuances of both raciolinguistic and disability discrimination. Additionally, this study signals the need to account for home language in addition to English Learner (EL) designation to counteract and prevent unintended intersectional gaps.