Students who are identified as both English learners (ELs) and students with disabilities (SWDs) are referred to as dually identified students. Local education agencies (LEAs) must provide dually identified students with both the language assistance and disability-related services to which they are entitled under federal law. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children. LEAs must also meet their obligations, under Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 (EEOA), to ensure that ELs can participate meaningfully and equally in educational programs.
Resources by Topic
Accommodations
- OSSE Testing Accommodations Guide: 2023-24 School Year
- Training Webinar: Testing Accommodations for English Learners
Assessment
Community Based Organizations
Legal Obligations
- (US Departments of Education and Justice)
- (US Department of Education)
- IDEA Part B Provision of FAPE: Guidance for the 2021-22 School Year
- School Readiness Reflection Tool
- Training Webinar: An Overview of the School Readiness Reflection Tool
Difference vs. Disability
- Special Education or Second Language Acquisition: Considerations for Differentiating the Two
- Training Webinar: Separating Difference from Disability in English Learners
Instruction
- (WIDA)
- (MTSS for ELs)
- (National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition)
- (MTSS for ELs)
- (The National Academies Press)
- Training Webinar:
- Asynchronous Training:
- Asynchronous Training:
Parent and Family Engagement
- (US Department of Education)
- (in multiple languages)
Secondary Transition
- Secondary Transition Resource Hub
- Training Webinar: Secondary Transition for English Learners
- Asynchronous Training:
Contact
For more information or questions, please contact Angela Awonaike, Manager, Inclusive Practices at [email protected].