Webinar Archives

Identifying Learning Disabilities in English Language Learners: Lessons from Three New York Districts

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A newly published REL-NEI Issues & Answers Report examines the practices and processes in three suburban New York school districts to identify learning disabilities among students who are English language learners (ELLs). In this webinar, the report’s authors explained how they used interviews with district and school personnel and documents from state and district websites to identify similarities and differences in practices. For example, they found more differences in the pre-referral process than in the referral process. The researchers discussed eight challenges to identifying learning disabilities in ELLs and five interrelated elements that appear to be important for avoiding misidentification of learning disabilities. An instructional supervisor with the Miami-Dade Public Schools connected the research findings to her district’s practices for identifying learning disabilities among ELLs.

Presenters:

• Harouna Ba

  María Teresa Sánchez

  Caroline Parker

  Anna McTigue

  Rosalia Gallo

  Harouna Ba, Moderator; New York State Liaison, REL-NEI at Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC)
• María Teresa Sánchez, Senior Research Associate, and Caroline Parker, Senior Research Scientist, REL-NEI at EDC; Project Leaders, “Processes and Challenges in Identifying Disabilities Among Students Who Are English Language Learners in Three New York State Districts”
• Anna McTigue, Co-author; Researcher, REL-NEI at EDC
• Rosalia Gallo, Discussant; Instructional Supervisor, Bilingual/ESOL Special Education Program, Miami-Dade Public Schools
• Carole Urbano, Technical Moderator, REL-NEI at EDC

More Information:

Supplemental Materials:

• Miami-Dade Public Schools—Language Proficiency and Dominance Screening (PDF)
• Identifying Learning Disabilities Among English Language Learners: Additional Readings (PDF)

Related REL Research and IES Resources:

• What Works Clearinghouse Topic Area: Students with Learning Disabilities
• What Works Clearinghouse Topic Area: English Language Learners
• English Language Proficiency Assessment in the Pacific Region (REL Pacific)
• New Measures of English Language Proficiency and Their Relationship to Performance on Large-Scale Content Assessments (REL-NEI)
• Preparing to Serve English Language Learner Students: School Districts with Emerging English Language Learner Communities (REL Appalachia)

Take Action:

• Learn More about Regional Educational Laboratories
• Ask a Research Question

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