Considerations for nondiscriminatory assessment and addressing educational needs of English learners referred for special education services

Abstract

The goal of this study was to research the guidelines on nondiscriminatory assessment for placing English Learners (ELs) into special education programs in public schools. For the purposes of this work issues such as data on ELs and ELs with disabilities, factors influencing referral and placement decisions, assessment and evaluation techniques were reviewed in detail. Qualitative research methods were applied. Four questionnaires were sent out and three responses were received. The interview questions included subtopics such as pre-referral and referral process, evaluation and assessment tools for Learning Disabilities (LD) identification in ELs, participation of interpreters, parental involvement, and professional challenges and specific requests. The results of the study indicated that the process of pre-referral, referral, and evaluation of English learners for special education programs is a complex phenomenon. A variety of factors, which play a vital role in the process, must be considered before the final decisions are made. The principal conclusion included two major findings: a number of factors must be investigated for appropriate student placements; unbiased multidimensional evaluation needs to be conducted for the determination of a learning disability versus language acquisition issue.