ABSTRACT
Effective decision-making concerning diverse needs is foundational to teaching and learning in multicultural K-12 educational settings. Although educators spend significant amounts of time gathering and organizing student academic and performance data, the effective application and uses of those data must also occur to meet critical educational needs in a timely manner. With regard to students who struggle and those with disabilities, a collaborative decision-making process is not only preferred, it is essential given the many complexities these students often bring to the classroom, such as varying achievement levels, experiential backgrounds, funds of knowledge, and diversity. In this chapter the authors examine special education decision-making research and practices with particular emphasis on issues encountered, associated findings, and implications for school and problem-solving team collaborative leadership, particularly as these relate to culturally and linguistically diverse learners educated within a multi-tiered system of supports.
