Designed for primary and secondary teachers, this text connects theory to practice while presenting foundational teaching and assessment practices for culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional (CDLE) students. It examines current and alternative practices, explores the multicultural movement, and brings together foundational information from special education and ELL/bilingual fields to target the specific needs of CDLE students. Practical in nature, the book and its resources include hands-on suggestions for immediate classroom implementation, case studies, examples of authentic student language, and video clips of teachers in action.

The book is organized into four main sections:

- Understanding student and family backgrounds

- Strategies for assessment and planning for instruction

- Strategies for content and language acquisition

- Strategies for literacy instruction