ERIC Number: EJ1169823
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Jan
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1947-5578
EISSN: N/A
Assessment Tools to Differentiate between Language Differences and Disorders in English Language Learners
Shenoy, Sunaina
Berkeley Review of Education, v5 n1 p33-52 Jan 2014
English language learners (ELLs) who are in the process of acquiring English as a second language for academic purposes, are often misidentified as having Language Learning Disabilities (LLDs). Policies regarding the assessment of ELLs have undergone many changes through the years, such as the introduction of a Response to Intervention (RTI) model, assessment in both first and second languages, and utilization of supplemental assessments. The purpose of this study is to take stock of the assessment tools and district policies that are in place to make a differential diagnosis. A total of 75 participants from California school districts, consisting of speech language pathologists, school psychologists, special educators, and paraprofessionals, completed an online survey. The results indicate that while professionals in the field utilize standardized cognitive abilities tests, informal assessments, and bilingual language tests as part of their assessment battery, there is still a need for bilingual language support and a standardized RTI model across schools and districts.
Descriptors: English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Language Impairments, Language Skills, Learning Disabilities, Evaluation Methods, Tests, Board of Education Policy, School Districts, Online Surveys, Cognitive Tests, Language Tests, Bilingualism, Response to Intervention, English Language Learners, Student Evaluation, Test Bias, Teaching Methods, Disability Identification, Speech Language Pathology, Special Education Teachers, School Psychologists, Paraprofessional School Personnel, Professional Personnel, Standardized Tests, Elementary Secondary Education
Berkeley Graduate School of Education, University of California, 5648 Tolman Hall, Berkeley, CA 94702. Tel: 510-328-3701; e-mail: bre_editor@berkeley.edu; Web site: http://www.berkeleyreviewofeducation.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals; Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test; Preschool Language Scale
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A