1. Placement of English Language Learners in Special Education
and Gifted Programs KELLIE WYATT SEI 503 JUNE 8, 2015 DIANA
LUCERO
2. Action Plan Representation of ELL students
Over-representation Under-representation Steps to ensure all
students are represented and assessed fairly Ways that key
decision-makers must be involved The aims and goals of the action
plan Strategies for collaboration between all stakeholders,
including students and parents
3. Representation of ELL students Over-Representation The
overrepresentation of English Learners (ELs) in special education
classes is one of the critical issues affecting this group of
students. Educators have difficulty distinguishing students who
truly have special education needs from students who are learning
English as a second language (Artiles & Klingner, 2006).
Determining whether an EL is struggling with reading because of a
learning disability or factors associated with language acquisition
is particularly challenging (Klingner et al. 2008). Older ELs were
more likely to be overrepresented than younger ELLs. ELs are
disadvantaged by the scarcity of appropriate valid and reliable
assessment instruments and a lack of personnel trained to conduct
culturally valid educational assessments. Under-Representation The
number and relative proportion of ethnic minority and language
minority students in the United States is rapidly increasing Only
recently has serious attention been drawn to the educational
concerns of gifted and talented students whose native language is
not English (Bernal, 2002). Poor communication often exists between
educators who teach gifted and talented students and teachers of
other special populations, such as special education and ELL
students-especially in states that are not English only, One of the
largest and most under acknowledged components of the gifted and
talented identification process involves educating parents and
guardians about the gifted services available at the school The
lack of explicit policies regarding proper identification of gifted
students from underrepresented groups is another barrier to valid
and reliable identification procedures for this population
(Gallagher & Coleman). The Mid-Atlantic Equity Center. (2015).
Harris, B., Martinez, R., & Plucker, J. (2007,
4. Steps to ensure all students are represented and assessed
fairly Educators need to be familiar with the students background
and history All students should be in grade appropriate classes
Ensure that all assessments (formal or informal) are unbiased
Ensure teaching skills are linguistically & culturally
responsive Provide early intervention and response to intervention
(RTI) Increase parental involvement and build community
partnerships
5. Ways that key decision-makers must be involved
Administration should be kept in the loop and always available if
needed Keep an accurate record of the students progress
Communication is paramount and should be maintained between
students, teachers, and parents Ensure that students needs are met
Set goals & ensure expectations are clear Be flexible &
develop alternative ways to check comprehension
6. The aims and goals of the action plan To ensure that equal
opportunities are available for all students To develop a cohesive
plan that will ensure all ELLs are assessed fairly To diversify
instruction developing programs that meet the needs of the children
To ensure that students are placed in grade appropriate programs To
set high expectations and encourage students to reach for their
goals
7. Strategies for collaboration between all stakeholders,
including students and parents Communication between parents
throughout the process Ensure parents are aware of all available
resources Ensure parents are aware of assessments and testing
processes Routine meetings held with teachers, parents, students,
and the school officials Maintain an effective way to collect and
manage information Provision of translation for non-English
speaking parents Ensure that IEPs are linguistically and culturally
appropriate
8. Conclusion Educators have to ensure that all students are
assessed in a fair manor Ensure that key decision-makers are
involved throughout the process Ensure that goals are established
Ensure the action plan meets the needs of the students
9. References The Mid-Atlantic Equity Center. (2015). Retrieved
from http://www.maec.org/equity/origin-issue4.html The Next Step:
Assessment and the English Language Learner | ELL Topics from A-Z |
Colorn Colorado. (2006). Retrieved from
http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/14733/ Hamayan, E., Marler,
B., Sanchez-Lopez, C., & Damico, J. (2007). Some Myths
Regarding ELLs and Special Education. Retrieved from
http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/40714/ Harris, B., Martinez,
R., & Plucker, J. (2007, November 21). Identifying English
Language Learners for Gifted and Talented Programs. Retrieved from
http://www.redorbit.com/news/education/1152658/identifying_english
language_learners_for_gifted_and_talented_programs/
10. Placement of English Language Learners in Special Education
and Gifted Programs KELLIE WYATT SEI 503 JUNE 8, 2015 DIANA
LUCERO