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Many ELLs and CLDs have been disproportionally misplaced in special education. A proper diagnosis of an ELLs would lead to a better intervention for these students. Not every ELLs should receive the same intervention because while some ELLs have formal academic instruction others don’t. Clinicians and educators should not only take into consideration test scores, but the students’ home, school, and cultural background in order to give to the students an assertive intervention.

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The assessment 360 should be composed of the following tools:

·        A developmental history collecting information not only related to language but medical history.

·        An academic history should specify if the instruction was interrupted or given to the student continuously, and in what language s(he) received instruction.

·        A parent interview to uncovered in what language the family usually speaks to the child and whether they have noticed language acquisition problems.

·        A dynamic assessment to distinguish lack of skills caused by either language development or cognitive problems.

·        A language sampling to identify structural issues with the language.

·        An observation of the child in the classroom and with peers to provide evidence on the students’ social and academic language development.

·        A norm reference assessment to compare and contrast the child’s development structured-task with their peers.

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Belen received an inconsistent English instruction before second grade. There were no records of ESL intervention or assessments that could indicate that Belen was being diagnosed. Her parents knew very limited English, and they did not taught Belen how to read and write in Spanish. Belen was struggling with learning English and lacked a structured language reference from her parent’s language. Belen was helped with her homework by older siblings who were having their own struggles with English.

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Teachers may confuse language issues (i.e. stuttering, cliff palate) with the process of acquiring a new language. This confusion could result in a student receiving services such as speech therapy and consequently the student missing class time. Therefore, by administering a 360° assessment, it would be easier to target specific problems. Assessment 360° is a great framework to obtain an overview of the student.

The pros of this assessment are that it is not a linear process; clinicians can go back and forward to collect more information or revise part of the evidence. It doesn’t depend on standardized tests, but observations, interviews, and academic history. Conversely, the cons of this panoramic assessment are that it may not be possible to complete every single step of the assessment. For example, if the parent doesn’t speak English and the school does not have access to a bilingual translator, interviews would be difficult to handle. In addition, gathering all the required information for the assessment 360° is time-consuming for teachers and/or schools’ clinicians. Furthermore, the collecting of evidence to properly diagnose a student can take years.

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By reviewing a student's academic history, clinicians can better discern whether issues with language indicate a learning disability or are the result of insufficient supports for ELLs. A review of academic history demonstrates a student's level of instruction in both the L1 and L2. Viewing a student's academic history can also be used as a method for progress monitoring.

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Tools in the assessment 360 toolkit include:
1. Developmental and academic history
2. Interview with parents
3. Assessment (s)
4. Observations
5. Language sampling

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Overview of Belen:
1.  Limited academic proficiency in English
2. Consistently receives low test scores on yearly assessments and does not demonstrate significant progress.
3. Has not received adequate supports in ESL. However, compared to other ELLs in her class, Belen has made little progress
4. She has met her developmental milestones
5. Hardworking and diligent student
6. Diagnosed with a learning disability

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Pros:
Comprehensive
Logical step-by-step process
Provides multiple perspectives (ie family interviews, input from teachers, quantitative data from test scores.)
Cons:
Time consuming
Does not include detailed recommendations for the student.

* I think that this assessment is beneficial to high risk students like Belen. It is not a practical option for all ELLs.

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When you review a student's academic history, you are gathering vital information that will be used when assessing if a student needs to be brought up special education. Many ELLs are either over or under represented in special education. If the team looks at the history, then they can determine if testing is warranted. Ny not looking at it, then the team can say yes to testing when the student may not have a suspected disability. You can also use this as a progress monitoring tool to see if the student is responding or not responding to an intervention

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1. Teacher Interview
2. parent Interview
3. Academic and Developmental History
4. Observation of the student in multiple settings and at different times.
5. Language Sampling
6. Assessments

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Here are some things that I learned about Belen:
1. She is in the 4th grade and is bilingual. Her mother, father and little sister speak Spanish; while she and her older brothers speak both English and Spanish.
2. She has been in the United States her entire life and has only ever attended public school in the States.
3. Belen cannot read or write in Spanish but can do so in English with support.
4. Her second, third and fourth grade teachers expressed concerns about her reading decoding and comprehension skills; but all say that she is a hard-worker.
5. After reviewing her history, ESOL levels, and interviews; the team decided to test Belen.
6. After reviewing her test scores (cognitive, speech and academic); the school team decided that Belen qualifies for a Specific Learning Disability for Reading.

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I found that the Assessment 360 process is a great tool to use for ELLs because it does not have bias and is very thorough about information for a student.
Pros:
-Can gather information that is important for teachers to know
-Can be used as progress monitoring
-Great to use for when students are being brought up for team
-Can be used to determine a students strengths and needs
Cons:
-Parents might not be responsive in giving out information about their child
-Teachers may not mention any concerns
-Testing might not be conducted in the proper way for the student (i.e. student might only be tested in English)

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It is important to view an [ELL] student's academic history is to determine how much education the student has received in their native education as well as in English at their school. This should be an immediate action in order to know how to best help that student learn. This is also important to do early so that the teacher can determine if the student has a learning disability, a speech disorder, or if their performance is just hindered because of language.

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I think the Assessment 360 process is a very logical process to follow when assessing ELL students especially. The pros to this method is that there is research into the student and their family, as well as family input to provide necessary information. Another pro is that this process involves good teaching methods. The teacher examines areas of need for the student, change instruction or add supports for the student to succeed, use data to determine if the environment and change in instruction is helping, evaluate with formal and informal assessments and determine next steps from there. The cyclical nature of this process is another pro as each step may not work out exactly as planned, and as a teacher you may need to go back a step or two if something is not working out.
The cons of this process is that it can be time consuming and involve a bit of flexibility on the teacher's part. The flexibility can be more of a con than the time consuming aspect, as this process challenges teacher's to look at their instruction and environment, and possibly alter it to meet the need of their student.

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Tools for the assessment 360 include:
* Developmental/medical history
* Academic history
* Parent interview (primary and secondary languages spoken)
* A dynamic assessment that assesses the child's ability to learn new tasks in a structured environment.
* Language sampling
* Classroom observations
* Norm referenced assessment

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What I learned about Belen is that in her family of 5, her and her two school age brothers speak English and Spanish. I can assume that they are learning only English in school as her 3 year old sister only speaks Spanish, as well as her mother and father. Her brothers sometime have to translate what she is trying to say in English to Spanish when she is speaking with her parents.
I have also learned that Belen and one of her older brothers receive literacy support in school, while the oldest brother does not. Her older brothers mostly help her with her homework as her parents are unable to most nights. She also has articulation issues with words which impact her ability to read and write.
Her school uses the Spanish Language Proficiency Language Assessment Scales. She scored as near fluent Spanish when she was tested in her native language, and expressed the ease of speaking in Spanish than in English. She is not proficient in speaking English.
Her second, third, and fourth grade teachers have identified Belen as needing extra support in reading and writing. After formal assessments and developing the tool kit for Belen it seemed that she has the social language as her interactions and language with peers was fine. The academic language is what is hindering her performance as she continues to struggle in reading and writing.

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ELLs can be classified into one of three types: students with formal academic learning, students with limited formal schooling, and long-term English learners. Viewing the student's academic history will allow for the student to be classified properly. Misclassifying the student may result in being placed in too high or too low (more likely) of a course. Being misplaced academically can have social and emotional effects on the student.

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There is a variety of tools that should be used in the assessment 360 toolkit. They include: a detailed developmental and academic history, parent and teacher interviews, language sampling, observation of the child in the classroom and with peers, dynamic assessment, and norm-referenced assessment. Each add specific information to determine if there is a language difference versus a language disorder.

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Belen is not only having difficulty in learning English, but also has low-average language skills in Spanish. There has been a suggestion that she could use more support in developing her Spanish as well as her English. She has developed social language skills in English, but she still does not demonstrate understanding of linguistic concepts and structures in English like her English-speaking peers.

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The information that Assessment 360 collects considers a lot of background information when considering where a student stands academically. Evidence that is found through Assessment 360 helps differentiate between the student with a language difference and a student who is in the process of acquiring a second language. Something that would make Assessment 360 difficult to use are time constraints to collect information.

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In order to determine which is the best setting for each student, whether that be general education or special education, and what sort of services to provide in these settings, one must have a solid understanding of each student's academic background. Is the student experiencing trouble "due to a language difference of a language/learning disability?" (Lewis, Castilleja, Moore, & Rodriguez, 2016). Further, one must know the level of education received, if any, and in what language, to determine if and what sort of knowledge would potentially have been gained up to this point. Because higher rates of dropping out, high school failure, and even legal issues are possible, proper placement is vital.

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the toolkit should include
- evelopmental history, including information about acquisition of early language and non-language targets, as well as medical history that could affect speech development.
- Academic history, including information about academic instruction received, as well as any supports received
- A parent interview to gather home language information
- Language samples of the child's speech in less structured/more interactive tasks
- Norm referenced assessment to quantitatively compare student's skills to typically developing peers
- Classroom observation to gather an understanding of the student's speech in social vs academic settings
- Dynamic assessment to gather an understanding of the student's ability to learn new tasks in a structured environment.

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Belen is a hard working little girl with a very positive attitude toward school who is experiencing linguistic difficulties in both English and Spanish. A review of her history shows limited English proficiency in the home via her parents, although her older brother speak English fluenty (her younger sister does not), and that her supplemental services through school have been inconsistent. There is concern regarding her acquisition of linguistic skills as she has received her entire education in English, so it is unlikely her struggles would be due to second language acquisition. Ultimately Belen was found to be in need of services to address her Specific Learning Disability, emphasis on reading difficulties

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This method looks at the whole child, not just one or two pieces, and gives the clearest picture of what may be going on with each individual student and therefore allow for the most comprehensive understanding and most appropriate services rendered.
Pros: "whole picture" perspective, comprehensive gathering of information, allows for non-linear gathering of information with updates to gathered information as needed.
Cons: time consuming and requires information that may be difficult to gather.

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It is important to view a student's academic history when determining which educational plan will best meet an ELL's academic needs. The "type" of ELL should be considered prior to assessment in order to set realistic expectations for assessment/placement. If an ELL has had formal schooling, then it would make sense to assess the student in his/her native language, but if a student has had no formal schooling, then it's not fair to immediately complete a comprehensive assessment on a student who has never taken a test before. If an ELL's academic history has not been reviewed, a student may be placed in an inappropriate educational environment that will not meet his/her needs.

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The assessment 360 toolkit should include:
- developmental history (early language acquisition and medical history)
- academic history (how long student has received formal education, how long student has received supports for secondary language and progress)
- parent interview (languages spoken at home, student's language preference)
- dynamic assessment ( child's ability to learn new skills in a structured teaching environment, could be during school or not)
- language sampling (student's language use in a less structured and more social environment outside of school)
- observation within the classroom (student's language use in less structured (recess) and more structured (math and reading instruction) during school)
- norm referenced assessment (highly structured approach to assessment which compares ELL's results to peers)

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Belen's case study is common for ELL students who get brought up for student support teams due to a lack of academic progress. Belen was born and raised in the U.S. Her parents speak and write in Spanish, while all of her siblings except her youngest sister speak both Spanish and English. Belen is not proficient in English according to the standardized English Language Assessment, although she communicates with her peers in English. Belen did not have the opportunity of being instructed in her native language, which means her formal reading and writing skills in Spanish were never developed. In addition, throughout her formal schooling, Belen did not receive consistent support in Spanish or English, resulting in major gaps being created for Belen. She is unable to keep up with her peers academically due to the curriculum being inaccessible for her. After gathering information from multiple sources, it was determined that Belen has a learning disability.

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Belen is a 9-year-old bilingual (English-Spanish) girl in the fourth grade. Belen was born in the United States and her family has been in the US for 11 years. She has 2 older brothers and a younger sister. Her mother and father speak Spanish, with limited use of English. Belen and her older brothers speak English and Spanish, and her young sister, age 3, speaks only Spanish. English is the language that the school-age siblings primarily use at school and at home. They all speak Spanish with their parents and Belen sometimes needs assistance to translate. Belen has been enrolled in the school district for 5 years where she has received all academic instruction in English. One of Belen’s brothers was identified as learning disabled and receives special education support in schools. According to her mother, Belen had isolated articulation errors with the “r” sounds in Spanish at a young age. Belen also had ear infections as a toddler that resolved by the age of four. There are no other health or behavior concerns. Academic history was given for Belen for the last 3 years of schooling showing that she struggled in both reading and math even with extra support. Cognitive and speech-language assessments were conducted in Spanish and in English. Portions of the WISC-Fourth Edition English and the WISC-IV Spanish were also administered. After completing assessments and considering all the data found in the assessment 360 process, it was determined that Belen qualified as having a Specific Learning Disability, with an emphasis on reading difficulties. Data from assessments ruled out a speech-language impairment. This was an interesting case but is common for many ELLs. Belen struggled to master both English and Spanish because she was learning both languages at the same time without proper instruction.

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Tools that should be in the assessment 360 toolkit are:
·         Developmental and academic history

·         Parent and teacher interviews

·         Language sampling

·         Observation of the child in the classroom and with peers

·         Dynamic assessment

·         Norm-referenced assessment (when appropriate)

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I think the Assessment 360 process is a thorough framework for assessment that leaves little room for speculation. In my opinion, I think this process would benefit all students who appear to be struggling academically within the classroom (but could be modified depending if student is an ELL or not).
Pros:
- comprehensive review of the student
- family involvement
- non-linear process, can always go back and revisit a step if needed
- provides cultural due diligence
- considers multiple settings
- multiple sources of information gathered
Cons:
- time consuming
- does not leave the assessor/teacher with a specific plan/recommendation for student

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In my opinion, I believe the Assessment 360 process provides a very accurate depiction of an ELL’s abilities and needs because it looks at many factors. Assessment 360 provides a deep and thorough investigation of all relevant educational, developmental, and social data before diagnosing a child.

Pros:

·         Nonlinear

·         Panoramic assessment

·         Includes data from school and home

Cons:

·         Time for testing

·         Time for data collection

·         Results don’t provide ideas for next steps

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The academic history of each student who may be included in a Response to Intervention assessment is crucial to determine whether the student actually has a language impairment, speech disability, or language acquisition deficiency. In order to fully gain a true understanding of a student, there must be gathering of data

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I was mentioning there should be a gathering of data, review of background and previous assessments, interviews with teachers/parents, and other tools to give a holistic view of the student.

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Tools to accurately assess ELLs include the following:

Developmental history to determine if there were any issues at birth, delays, ear infections, etc.

Academic history to determine if the student has had access to ESOL services, language supports, reading instruction in both languages, assessments, and academic stability/setting.

Family interviews determine the extent of languages and possible disabilities, cultural backgrounds, and language preferences at home.

Language samplings to determine if there are typical errors of ELLs or if there is another issue taking place.

Teacher interviews and observations show academic performance individually and in relation to his or her peers.

Observations in the student's normal class environment helps to get a picture of the type of student the child is.

Norm-based assessments help teachers gather data to examine if the student has a disability, as long as other factors are considered.

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Belen did not achieve the same English proficiency as her peers due to a possible "specific learning disability," according to the team's findings. Belen did not receive consistent support in Spanish, which signifies that she was unable to acquire academic language in her first language. She struggled to read and had little growth on standardized assessments. There was a learning disability in a close relative, a preference for Spanish at home, and code-switching between languages and in her first language, as well. These factors could have contributed to the length of time that Belen has not received adequate support
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It is important to view a student’s Academic History because you will receive a full understanding of their educational background. By looking at a student’s academic history, you are able to find:

·         Information about the child’s academic instruction

·         U.S./non-U.S. academic settings

·         Stable or interrupted education

·         Instruction in English vs. another language

·         Information about the supports that have been in place for 2nd language acquisition

·         Supportive/non-supportive environment

·         Academic progress similar/not similar to ELL peers

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Assessment 360 is a holistic approach and framework used to hold educators and the RTI team accountable so that funds and time are not wasted treating language and speech disorders or overly relying on assessments to determine a child's eligibility for SPED services. I think it is a worthwhile framework to use so that we aren't overly classifying students with learning disabilities, when they actually have language deficiencies due to learning more than one language at once.
Pros of Assessment 360 include:
Including a variety of tools to use to get an accurate picture of students
This process is thorough compared to only administering an assessment or two.
It holds staff accountable to really get to know a child instead of assuming incorrect information about a student.
Cons include:
The inability of educators to communicate in child's first language and requiring an interpreter is time-consuming.
Assessment 360 is a tedious process. Having to interview family and former teachers could be difficult if staff have little access to a student's former school or family.

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I think that in reviewing a student's academic history, teachers can better discern whether issues with language and language acquisition indicate a learning disability or are the result of insufficient supports for ELLs. Reviewing a student's academic history can also be a good was of assessing periodically and watching their progression in both their L1 and L2.

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The tools that I think should be in the assessment 360 toolkit are:
-Developmental History
-Academic History
- Parent Interviews
- Dynamic Assessment
- Language Sampling
- Observations of the child in the classroom and with their peers
- Norm referenced assessment

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Belen:
- Despite having some linguistic difficulties in both English and Spanish, she still has a relatively positive outlook and attitude towards school
- There is limited use of English in the home by her parents
-Her brother is fluent in English
-Unfortunately, although the services provided by the school are not inadequate the level of consistency is lacking and therefore its taking on a toll on Belen's learning of the language
- It was concluded that Belen would need the help of services to address her Specific Learning Disability with a particular emphasis on reading difficulties

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I particularly liked the Assessment 360 process. I think that it gives the teacher or clinician a full picture of where the student is coming from and where they are currently. Granted I am not in the classroom at this time so I could not say that implementing this would be easy, but from a outside perspective it looks postive.
Pros: You get to see the entire child, the one at home and the one at school through the process of gathering information from previous teachers and family members
Cons: The time aspect. I think that using this assessment with one student may be doable; however, if you were to have more than one, the amount of time needed to accomplish gathering all the data would be astronomical

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It is important to view a student's academic history in order to have a clearer view of who that student is academically, today. Looking at how the child has developed thus far medically and the amount, quality, and location of the education they have received help educators and clinicians to determine where the student's needs lie.

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The Assessment 360 Toolkit should include the student's developmental and academic history, parent/family interviews, dynamic assessments, language sampling, observations of the child in the classroom(academic and social), and norm referenced assessments.

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Belen is a hard working and motivated bi-lingual student. She seeks help when needed and is eager to learn. Belen has not received adequate instruction/support consistently throughout her educational history. Belen had some L1 articulation errors with "r" sounds and several ear infections early on in life, as reported by her mother. Currently, she does not show overall proficiency in English or Spanish.

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The Assessment 360 process is one I would recommend. It's pros include the depth and variety of information sought out and considered while cons will be found in the amount of time it takes to gather such valuable information as well as implications if the information is lacking or unavailable.