LANGUAGE LEARNER AND/OR STUDENT WITH

A DISABILITY

ESL and Special Education Services

EDUCATION

It is the policy of DoDEA that students shall be provided a free, appropriate education in schools where placement and service decisions are based on the individual needs of the student, in the least restrictive environment and in accordance with the system’s guiding principles. This policy is consistent with DoDEA mission to provide a quality educational program that prepares all students for success in a global environment.

WHO ARE ELLS?

English language learners are students who have a first language other than English, are in the process of acquiring English, and are not yet able to profit fully from English-only instruction.

WHAT IS SPECIAL EDUCATION?

Special education is specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with an identified disability that substantially affects one or more major life activities; an individual who has a record of having such impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment.

STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY MIGHT INCLUDE:

• Learning Disability• Intellectual Deficit• Communication Disorder• Developmental Delay• Autism Spectrum Disorder• Hearing Impairment• Visual Impairment• Health Impairment• Orthopedic Impairment• Emotional Impairment

Note that…

even though it may be hindering the student’s academic progress, the inability to understand, speak, read and write English should not be considered a disability

Not speaking English is not a disability

ISSUES OF ELLS IN SPECIALEDUCATION

• Overrepresentation• Size of ELL population• Availability of language support programs• Grade level• Limited proficiency

• Underrepresentation• Subjectivity in classification of student in high

incidence disability categories• Variability in state practices• Lack of resources and staff

HOW CAN INAPPROPRIATE REFERRALS OF ESL STUDENTS BE AVOIDED?

• Documentation of pre-referral interventions is a required part of the special education pre-referral process

• DoDEA schools have developed problem solving teams (Student-Support Team)

• When interventions suggested by such teams are successful, a referral to special education may not be necessary

• It is important that ESL teachers are part of these teams in order to bring their knowledge and skills to the problem-solving process

SPECIAL EDUCATION PRE-REFERRAL PROCESS

• ESL and general education implement a variety of strategies to resolve the student’s difficulties.

• The ESL and general education teachers request assistance from in-school problem-solving team (SST).

• An intervention plan is developed • The Team reviews the information • Refer to the Case Study Committee directly or

after interventions prove to be ineffective.

WIDA Consortium / CAL / Metritech

THE KNOWLEDGE THAT ESL SPECIALIST CAN BRING INCLUDES:

• Awareness of the second language acquisition process

• Appropriate instructional strategies for ESL students

• Sensitivity to cultural diversity • Sensitivity to child-rearing practices in

immigrant families that may be different from the U.S.

• The importance of native language support

SUGGESTED INTERVENTIONS

• One-on-one tutoring• Cross-age tutoring• Remedial programs• Student and family support groups• Family counseling

And some students may still struggle…

• Assess school and classes• Review data regarding instruction• Review data regarding interventions• Develop additional interventions if appropriate• Implement recommendation (s) and monitor

progress• If problems persist, recommend a comprehensive

individual assessment

REMEMBER THE RTI MODEL

Core curriculum, instruction, & learning environment

Targeted, SupplementalSupports

Intense, Individualized Support

Data-based Decision Making Across the Tiers

Problem Solving

Tier I

Tier II

Tier III

More than a referral…

• In addition to the general education teacher, have others (ESL teachers, specialists, family) noted similar difficulties?

• Does the problem exist across contexts?• Are the problems evident in the student’s first

language?• Is the student’s acquisition of English different

to that of peers who started about the same level of ELP and had similar instruction?

• Can some difficulties be explained by cross-cultural differences?

ASSESSMENT CONSIDERATIONS

• Multidisciplinary teams must assure that the student’s difficulties are the result of a disability and NOT a lack of appropriate instruction or second language acquisition.

• Assessment procedures must be valid.• Assessments are administered in the language and

form most likely to yield accurate academic developmental and function information; unless is not feasible to so provide or administer.

• Information to parents must be provided to the extent possible, in their preferred mode of communication.

(Rohena, 2005)

ASSESSMENT BOTTOM LINE

There is no perfect tool out there…

The key is in the analysis and contextualization of the results

• Are there other variables, e.g. inconsistent school attendance, language variations typical of ELLs?

• Is there evidence of extreme test anxiety?• Were there procedural mistakes in the assessment

process?• Can problematic behaviors be explained by bias in

operation before, during or after the assessment?• Do data show that the student did not respond to

general education interventions?• Are the assessment results consistent with the

concerns of the general education teacher and parents?

Considerations

IMPORTANT

Once an ESL student is eligible to receive special education services, it is important to note that both the bilingual education/ESL and the special education educators in the school are jointly responsible for the ESL student’s progress. Both sources of supplementary funding are applied to the student’s educational program.

ESL AND SPECIAL EDUCATION OFFER SUPPORTS

• Culturally and linguistically responsive teachers• Culturally and linguistically relevant instruction• Supportive learning environment• Assistance with language acquisition • Implementation of accommodations and

modifications• Intensive academic and/or behavioral

interventions in identified areas

ELLs with Disabilities, LRP

REMEMBER

It is more difficult to remediate a disability if instruction is provided in the student’s weaker language.

(Rohano, 2005; Artiles & Ortiz, 2002)

Therefore…

• Whenever possible, native language support should be provided by teachers, paraprofessionals and tutors.

• Having a disability does not mean that the ESL student forfeits the right to bilingual education or ESL services.

SCAFFOLDING

From Vygotsky’s Work…

• Learning precedes development• Language is the main vehicle of thought• Mediation is central to learning• Social interaction is the basis of learning and

development• The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is the

primary activity space in which learning occurs

Scaffolding (Walqui’s Work)

• Scaffolding as a structure and process• Continuity• Contextual Support• Intersubjectivity• Contingency• Handover/takeover• Flow

• Scaffolded Interaction • Expert-novice• Collaboration• Assisting lower-level learner• Individual work (inner resources)

SCAFFOLDING FOR ELLS

• Modeling• Bridging• Contextualizing• Schema Building• Representing Text• Developing Metacognition

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

SOMETHING TO PONDER

"If Children Don’t Learn The Way We Teach,

We Have to Change The Way We Teach."-Ignacio 'Nacho' Estrada

In other words…

“Children are who they are. They know what they know. They bring what they bring.

Our job is not to wish that students knew more or knew differently.

Our job is to turn each student’s knowledge and diversity of knowledge into a curricular strength… rather than an instructional inconvenience.

• Hold high expectations for all students• Convey great respect for the knowledge and

culture they bring to the classroom• Offer lots of support in helping

them achieve these expectations…”

-P. David Pearson-“Reclaiming the Center”

We can do that only if we: