Resource Library

The California Department of Education has published a manual to provide guidance to local education agencies on identifying, classifying, and supporting English learners (ELs) with special needs.

This policy brief provides an overview of national and state laws governing the education of English learners (ELs) in Arkansas. It also reviews state policies and procedures for identifying ELs. Most of the brief is devoted to tracing the growth of the EL population in Arkansas.

This brief examines how federal policies and funding are affecting students identified as having special needs under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and who are also identified as English learners (ELs) under Title III of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

School districts in all parts of the country have struggled with how to identify, support, and reclassify English learners (ELs) with disabilities. The result has been the over- and under-identification rates of ELs as having a disability.

What factors contribute to the overrepresentation of English learners (ELs) in special education and, conversely, ELs who remain in an ESL class when they should be referred for special education services?

The Language Usage Survey Guidance Handbook is revised from an earlier version published in 2016. This guide walks the reader through the entire process of identifying potential English learners (ELs).