Conclusion
Designing and implementing more effective identification policies and instructional practices for ELs with disabilities should be a priority for leaders at the school, district, and state levels. Without thoughtful consideration in these areas, ELs who genuinely need extra supports and services will fall through the cracks, and students without disabilities may be placed in environments misaligned with their learning needs.
While there is much more complexity than can be presented here, education leaders seeking to support dual-identified ELs should begin by understanding the basic parameters of federal policy under IDEA and ESSA and the core issues impacting EL students with disabilities. With this as a starting point, school systems can move towards applying particular strategies within their own contexts and constraints.
More fundamentally, policymakers at all levels must recognize that “English learners” are not a monolith. The EL category represents a diversity of students with unique needs and abilities.1 By shining a light on ELs and their various intersections with other student groups, education leaders can create more equitable, responsive, and individualized school experiences that help all students reach their fullest potential.
Citations
- This includes ELs in gifted education programs, where their representation falls significantly behind non-EL peers. See Rachel Mun, Susan Dulong Langley, Sharon Ware, E. Jean Gubbins, Del Siegle, Carolyn Callahan, D. Betsy McCoach, and Rashea Hamilton, Effective Practices for Identifying and Serving English Learners in Gifted Education: A Systematic Review of the Literature (Storrs, CT: National Center for Research on Gifted Education, December 2016).