White Paper: The Provision of School Psychological Services to Dual Language Learners

This white paper was endorsed by the School Psychology Educators of California and the California Association of School Psychologists. It seeks to fill a gap that currently exists in the field of school psychology. It outlines the knowledge and skills school psychologists needs to effectively support DLLs, their families, and teachers. School psychologists' responsibilities have increasingly extended to DLLs (also known as ELs), but there is no assurance that school psychologists have the knowledge needed in the areas of bilingual language acquisition, cultural variables, bilingual assessments, and program options to effectively serve DLLs. This white paper outlines areas of competence all school psychologists should have for serving DLLs, and additional competencies for those who identify themselves as bilingual school psychologists.