Teresa Walker, Ed.S ., School Psychologist Angie Corderman, Psy.S ., School Psychologist

1. The Top 10 Areas to Consider Before Placing ELL Students in Special Education DISCLAIMER: We have found these to be beneficial & hope you will as well. Teresa Walker, Ed.S., School Psychologist Angie Corderman, Psy.S., School Psychologist

2. Overview • English Language Learner (ELL) is used to avoid the negative connotation of “limited English proficient” (LEP). LEP is still used by the law. • U.S. Census data states (U.S. Dept. of Education): • IN 2008-09; 5.3 million students were identified as ELL • 19% PK-12th • Research indicates ELLs are typically either over-represented or under-represented in district special education programs in the U.S. • Research demonstrates English language learners with the least amount of language supports are most likely to be referred to special education.

3. What? “If ELLs are failing in general education, there is no harm in placing them in special education where they will receive individualized instruction.”

4. The Visual Why? SpEd vs. ESL • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnd2cn17VUw • Think – Pair – Share • What did you learn? • Do you agree with the message? • Why? Or Why not?

5. TOP TEN LIST Top 10 areas to consider before “Suspecting a Disability” on a student who is considered ELL….

6. #10 CULTURAL COMPETENCY

7. Cultural Competency • Does your school/district have a questionnaire to complete when parents register their students? • Native language? • Years of English exposure? • Student bilingual? • Ethnicity? • Culture Integration Component (CIC) Discipline System – culturally relevant? Schools Rules/Motto – school rules or mottos that are culturally appropriate? When rules created – diverse cultures involved? School-wide Discipline – PBIS working in your school? • Is school staff culturally competent

8. 7 Integral Factors to Consider When Working with LEP StudentsHamayan, E., Marler, B., Sanchez-Lopez, C., & Damico, J. (2007) Learning environment created for student Personal and family factors Physical and family factors Previous schooling Proficiency in oral language and literacy in both first L1 & second language L2 Academic achievement in both L1, if available, and L2 Cross-cultural factors

9. 37 Success Factors for Culturally Competent Teachers • http://justlists.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/37-success-factors-for-cultural-competency-in-teachers/ • #2 • #5 • #12 • #17 • #19 • #20 • #21 • #28 • #30 • #32 • #33

10. #9 NUMBER OF YEARS

11. Number of years - In school, in country, learning English • Demographic information – a form? • What does your school do to gather additional information and does an interpreter need to be present? • Do you have an interpreter or can you gain access to one? • District promote teachers to visit family in home setting? • ESL, general education, etc?

12. #8 VARIABLES

13. Variables – Student/Teacher/Curriculum/Instruction • Student/Teacher • Does the student feel welcomed? • Can you pronounce their name (correctly)? • Does the teacher build rapport with student • Through support • Open communication • Curriculum/Instruction • ELL friendly? • Visuals? • Strategies – SIOP, Criss Model, Differentiated Instruction, Sheltered Instruction

14. Checklist for Determining if Sufficient Initial Data are Available [SAT/BAT]

15. #7 INTERVENTIONS

16. Targeted Interventions • RTI + I = Response to Interventions + Instruction • Modifications • What content is being taught? • Adjusting the content so that students will be successful. • Students are given less complex or lengthy content to meet learning needs. • Accommodations • How is content being taught? • A physical or environmental change that ensures success. • Differentiated teaching practices based on student learning needs. • Specific & Differentiated Instructional Strategies • Key features of RTI, refers to specific action teachers mindfully take as a preventative measure to support students at-risk • Ix’s = Assess  Implement  Adjust

17. #6 ASSESSMENTS

18. Assessments: What & How • A variety of assessment methods should be used to evaluate ELL students. • Multidimensional – each student is an individual and their needs will look different!!! • Can refer to checklist for SAT/BAT • Standardized Tests • Alternate Assessments • Functional Assessments • ICEL/RIOT (from the Department of Education) matrix can be utilized!

20. Standardized Tests The most common approach to evaluation for special education is to use standardized tests to determine intellectual and academic skills. Standardized tests can provide quantitative information that can suggest the possibility of success in general educationBUT… Standardized tests do not always provide the most valid, reliable, and accurate information about an ELL student’s achievement and progress due to a lack of appropriate norm populations.

21. Cont’d • Some of the standardized tests that are still in use include: • BVAT • Woodcock-Johnson III • Woodcock-Munoz II • UNIT • C-TONI • Kaufman Assessment Battery • DAS-II • Etc.

22. TESTING OPTIONS: Alternative AssessmentsAmber and Dew (1982) Advantages • More flexible than standardized tests • Looks at a continuum of skills rather than comparison to the performance of others who may not be true peers • Techniques are diagnostic-prescriptive and help define an instructional plan • Procedures can be implemented in any language or combination of languages • Methods are less intimidating • Can measure for subtle changes in performance with progress monitoring

23. Functional Assessment Purpose To examine the student’s academic performance and behavior within the student’s own instructional environment. Types which include: • Native language assessment • Curriculum Bases Assessment (CBA/CBM) • Direct intervention • Test, Teach, Re-test • Observation (Not just narrative) • Interviews • File Reviews

24. #5 COMPARISONS

25. Comparisons to Peer Group • Norms • District-wide... • What does your district use? • PAT, BRI, DIBELS, etc • Can an aggregate group be created of students who are identified as ELL? • AEA Norms • Aimsweb • ELL Norms (Spanish forms only) • Grade based norms • 2006 Hasbrouck & Tindal Reading Fluency Data

26. Academic Progress of ELL StudentsCollier (1987) • The following chart shows the number of academic years needed to reach an average score at the 50th percentile on nationally standardized tests of reading, language arts, science, and social studies. Chamot, A. & O’Malley. (1989). Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach. When They don’t All Speak English, edited by P. Rigg & Y. Allen, 103-125. National Council of Teachers of English.

27. #4 BICS & CALPS

28. BICS & CALPS/Stages of Language Acquisition • BICS-Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills • BICS are the first kind of language skills that students acquire. It could be called “playground” language because students use this language in social situations. • You can easily be fooled by students who can communicate very well in English in the classroom or on the playground; but can’t read, write, or understand content area material. • BICS can require 1-5 years to develop. • CALPS-Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency Skills • CALPS are the second type of language development and are necessary for understanding cognitive academic language in school. • CALPS require from 3-10 years to develop • CALPS depend on many factors such as how well educated the student is in his first language.

29. Remember • The sequence for mastering a second language and the cognitive academic skills of the language is: • Listen • Speak • Read • Write

30. #3 THE LAW

31. Federal, State, & Special Education Law • See Quick Guide Handout • See Flowchart Handout • Exclusionary Factors (Department of Education) • RIOT/ICEL Methods • www.idea.org • State forms, templates, download • Area Education Agency Special Education Procedures • See page 34

32. Special Rule for Eligibility Determination • Exclusionary Factors • Lack of scientifically based instruction in reading • Lack of instruction in math • Limited English proficiency • Racial or ethnic diversity

33. #2 DISABILITY VS. DIFFICULTY

34. #2: Disability vs. Difficulty (Language Acquisition) • If skills are within normal limits in the native language, second language delays cannot be considered a disorder • If the 5-7 years for CALP development have not been completed, delays could still be due to second language learning • Some research indicating 10 years if no primary L1 • If the child has recently been exposed to a second language, skills in native language may temporarily be depressed due to the “silent period” which may occur • All of these possibilities must be considered before diagnosing the child with a language disorder1 • Is it truly (you’ve exhausted everything, have support from ESL teacher, etc.) • ELL + Disability?

35. Language Disorder Language Difference Difference & Disorder Language Difference vs. Language Disorder (Roninson, 2003)

36. #1 DOES THE DISABIILTY EXIST IN THE FIRST LANGUAGE?

37. Does the disability exist in the first language? • Home Language Survey • Observations • Teacher Input • Parent Input • Can an SLP assist you? • Language development charts have been accessed and team agrees? • Again, ELL + Disability = consensus?

38. Beginning of School Year: October

39. End-of-Year: May

40. Critical Factors for Evaluation of ELLs • The number of years the students has lived and attended school in the U.S. • Types of ELL programs in which the student has participated. • Understanding the number of years required for the development of BICS and CALPS. • The student’s level of English language acquisition with assessment of skills in BICS and CALPS. • The purposes and uses of retention in the student’s educational history.

41. Critical Factors for Evaluation of ELLs • The impact of parental, environmental, cultural, educational, and linguistic effects on the student and the evaluation of the student’s skills. • The effect of mobility including the number of schools attended and /or lack of attendance in an educational setting. • Use of the problem solving process with appropriate accommodations and interventions completed prior to a special education evaluation. • Use of progress monitoring to determine academic achievement and development of academic skills.

42. Critical Factors for Evaluation of ELLs • Use of appropriate, valid, and reliable tests in English and the student’s first language. • Tests in English are not to be translated. • Standardized tests in English become tests of English language skills. • Use of non-traditional assessment methods provide a more accurate assessment of the student’s ability to learn and achieve.

43. Critical Factors for Evaluation of ELLs • Disabilities must be determined to exist in the first language. • Use trained interpreters in all of the special education processes. • Parent rights must be addressed as outlined in both federal and state law. • There is no minimum amount of time an ELL should be in your school or district before assessing their need for special education.

44. YES! • If, as a team, you can answer YES to the above “Critical Factors for Evaluation of ELLs” then: • You have used integrity to make a decision • Have more than enough data • The student might be ELL + disability • And, now you can write the lengthy, redundant, new EER report, which reports evaluation information to parents!!!

45. Top Ten Flowchart

46. References Cummins, J. (1984). Basic interpersonal communicative skills and cognitive academic language proficiency. Chicago, IL: Carlson, Inc. Hamayan, E., Marler, B., Sanchez-Lopez, C., & Damico, J. (2007). Special education consideration for English Language Learners. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon Publishing. Rhodes, R., Ochoa, S., & Ortiz, S. (2005). Assessing culturally and linguistically diverse students. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Educational Research Website (2009). Teaching English games. Retrieved January 10, 2010 from http://teachingenglishgames.com/3-5.htm U.S. Department of Education (2009). English language learners. Retrieved January 10, 2010 from http://www.edweek.org/rc/issues/english-language-learners/ National Research Center for Language Acquisition (2009). One Child, two languages: A reference for preschool Educators working with ELL students. Retrieved January 29, 2010 from http://nationalresearchcenterellpreschool1/ City/State data (2010). Iowa languages. Retrieved February 5, 2010 from http://www.city-data.com/states/Iowa-Languages.html Clark, B.A. (?) First and second-language acquisition in early childhood. Retrieved February 4, 2010 from http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/pubs/katzsym/clark-b.html Online resource: October 20, 2011, http://justlists.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/37-success-factors-for-cultural-competency-in-teachers/

47. Good Resource • http://everythingESL.net • Education about appropriate nonverbal/gestures to use • Lesson plans • Teaching tips