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This resource explains why ESL learners are often overrepresented in special education and ways parents and teachers can support them.

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Special Education and English Language Learners

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Learn more about how schools and families can collaborate to ensure that ELLs, including those with special needs, have the appropriate support and services to meet their unique needs.

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This resource helps educators determine whether an ESL child is struggling due to limited English proficiency or a disability.

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This source provides a better understanding of the academic challenges ELLs face in American classrooms.

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"Was dual language immersion the best choice for my student, Fanny, if she is still not prepared for middle school? " Ms. Suárez's reflection depicts common issues faced by parents, teachers, and...

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An English language learner (ELL) is a student whose primary language is not English, and whose English proficiency or lack thereof provides a barrier to successful learning. As of fall 2017, the National Center on Education Statistics reports that 5 million public school students (10.1%) are English language learners.

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This study dives deep into why English learners are disproportional represented in special ed. It concludes that, "Educators have difficulty distinguishing students who truly have special education needs from students who are learning English as a second language (Artiles & Klingner, 2006). ELs are disadvantaged by the scarcity of appropriate, valid and reliable assessment instruments and a lack of personnel trained to conduct culturally valid educational assessments. ELs who need special education services are further negatively impacted by the shortage of special education teachers and/or specialists who are trained to address their language and disability needs simultaneously."

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This resource outlined collaboration and response methods for ELs with disabilities.

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Contact Us

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906

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Disclaimer: A reference in this website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

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massachusetts department of elementary and secondary education

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Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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The goal of the Massachusetts public K-12 education system is to prepare all students for success after high school. Massachusetts public school students are leading the nation in reading and math and are at the top internationally in reading, science, and math according to the national NAEP and international PISA assessments.

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This is a parent's guide to their child's education after diagnosis. This is also available in Spanish to help ESL parents.

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A Parent's Guide to Special Education . Written by the Federation for Children with Special Needs in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Eucation, the Guide is meant to serve as a resource for parents, and the organizations that serve them. The Guide contains the most current and accurate information available regarding the special education system in Massachusetts.

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Here is the US Department of Education's outline for the best partnership with families and schools when navigating disabilities.

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The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is committed to supporting parents, families, educators, state and local leaders, and organizations that work with families to strengthen parent partnership for student success. Research shows the positive impact of family engagement for students, educators, schools and communities.

Information and Resources

The Department is diligently working to provide parents and communities with information to support their conversations with schools, including the newly released materials below. ( Disclaimer)

New Releases

The Department also has parent-focused resources about:

Stay Connected

Stay in touch with the Department and learn more about our commitment to Parent Partnership! Sign up to receive The Department's Family, School, & Community Engagement Newsletter.

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Explore parent-focused resources for parents, families, educators, state and local leaders, and organizations that work with families to strengthen parent partnership for student success.

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This resource provides a video of educators explaining the difficulty of ELLs and special education and the importance of careful evaluation when determining what support is best for the child.

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Challenges in Special Education Identification for ELLs

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Colorín Colorado is a national multimedia project that offers a wealth of bilingual, research-based information, activities, and advice for educators and families of English language learners (ELLs). Colorín Colorado is an educational service of WETA, the flagship public broadcasting station in the nation’s capital, and receives major funding from the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association. © Copyright 2023 WETA Public Broadcasting.

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This video has the goal of encouraging equitable access to education by empowering families to understand terms and the IEP process.

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ESL Stories from the Field: Evaluation for Special Education and Related Services for ELs

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This video was filmed by Massachusetts educators who shared the best techniques on creating inclusive classrooms for ESL and non-ESL learners.

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ESL Stories from the Field: Promoting Inclusive Practice for all Students

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This study was very insightful as it showed that teachers will often refer Hispanic children to special ed as they do not know "what to do" with them and feel helpless as educators.

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This article lays out proven techniques to assist ESL teachers in successful multilingual practices.

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Building a Pathway of Optimal Support for English Language Learners in Special Education - Andrea Zetlin, Dolores Beltran, Patricia Salcido, Teresa Gonzalez, Teresa Reyes, 2011

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Historically, neither a positive nor a supportive relationship existed between the population of students designated English language learners (ELLs) and the fi…

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This study illuminated the positive connection between proficient students and effective teachers.

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A Study of Teacher Efficacy of Special Education Teachers of English Language Learners With Disabilities

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This study examined the teacher efficacy of special education teachers of English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities by surveying 202 elementary special education teachers. Overall partic…

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This article shows the importance of collaboration between general and special education teachers to support ESL students. Without this collaboration, students struggle to make progress in learning English.

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ERIC - EJ986820 - General Education and Special Education Teachers Collaborate to Support English Language Learners with Learning Disabilities, Issues in Teacher Education, 2012

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The Census 2000 Brief (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2004b) indicates that English is not the heritage language of approximately one in five Americans, and the number of limited English proficient (LEP) students, also known as English language learners (ELLs), grew about 50 percent in the last decade. It is estimated that nearly 400,000 ELL students in grades K-12 were identified as needing special education services in the school year 2001-2002 (McCardle, McCarthy-Mele, Cutting, Leos, & D’Emilio (2005). Paradoxically, there is an over-representation, and also an under-representation, of students in special education programs (Artiles & Ortiz, 2002; Klingner et al., 2006; Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Amendments, 1997). More research needs to be conducted to decipher whether ELLs struggle to develop literacy because of their limited English proficiency or because they have a learning disability (Klingner, et al., 2006). Not surprisingly, general education (GE)

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This was a great summative source as it showed how teachers can implement strategies to help close the achievement gap between white and ESL students.

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ERIC - EJ1100440 - Educating English-Language Learners with Special Needs: Beyond Cultural and Linguistic Considerations, Journal of Education and Practice, 2012

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English-language learners (ELLs) with special needs consistently languish in the American school system. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) included ELLs as a minority group and required to hold schools accountable for reducing the achievement gap between ELLs and their white peers, however the act did not provide a specific direction for educators on how to help these students in the school context. A conceptual review was conducted to compiles information on critical issues and challenges ELLs with special needs face as well as useful tips for assessment and instruction. Critical issues and challenges include assessment and identification, teacher preparation and professional development, and legal and policy issues. The useful tips discussed rely on the utilization of guidelines for assessment, Response to Intervention (RTI), and the support of all stakeholders.