Date of Graduation

Spring 5-19-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College/School

School of Education

Program

Organization & Leadership EdD

First Advisor

Dr. Danfeng Koon

Second Advisor

Dr. Seenae Chong

Third Advisor

Dr. Ursula Aldana

Abstract

Educating multilingual learners (MLLs) in the K–12 setting has been, and continues to remain, a complex challenge. Students with intersecting language and dis/ability identities often face organizational barriers that interrupt equitable access to curriculum, language acquisition, and educational opportunities. While previous research has largely focused on racial disproportionality within special education, limited research has examined the intersection of multilingual learners within special education and the organizational systems that shape their educational experiences. This study sought to examine how organizational culture shapes the implementation and expression of institutional policies and practices related to multilingual learners with dis/abilities, specifically in relation to service delivery models, educational access, assessment practices, resource allocation, and organizational decision-making.

This qualitative case study explored one focal school located within a relatively small California school district. Guided by the theoretical frameworks of Intersectionality, DisCrit, organizational culture, and organizational sensemaking, this study examined how educators interpreted and responded to the intersecting language and dis/ability identities of students within complex organizational systems. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with educators, specialists, and administrators, as well as observations, field notes, and document analysis. Data were analyzed through thematic coding procedures to identify organizational patterns, systemic barriers, and the ways educators made sense of educational access for multilingual learners with dis/abilities.

The findings indicated that organizational culture significantly shaped the ways educators interpreted student needs, exercised professional discretion, and enacted institutional policies and procedures. Educators frequently navigated ambiguities in policy, limited intervention capacity, inconsistent access to specialists, staffing constraints, and gaps in multilingual assessment practices while attempting to support students with intersecting identities. Findings further demonstrated that organizational routines, collaboration structures, professional learning opportunities, and district-level decision-making processes influenced how educational access was constructed within both school and district systems. Additionally, the findings revealed that special education services often took precedence over language acquisition supports, resulting in inequitable access to comprehensive educational opportunities for multilingual learners with dis/abilities.

This study contributes to the growing body of research examining the intersection of multilingual education and special education by highlighting the role organizational culture plays in shaping educational access for students with intersecting language and dis/ability identities. The findings suggest a need for more culturally and linguistically responsive assessment practices, strengthened collaborative systems, expanded multilingual assessment capacity, and organizational structures that more intentionally support equitable educational outcomes for multilingual learners with dis/abilities.

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