Differentiating Between Language Acquisition or Learning Disability in Elementary Grade English Learners

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2021-12

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Abstract

Background:Differentiating between a learning disability (LD) and language barriers is essential for the early identification of English Learners (ELs) requiring possible referral to special education. Some EL students may need more scaffolded instruction rather than special education placement. The students who are underperforming are often not identified and frequently pass on to the next academic grade without further examination due to possible language acquisition issues. Accurate and targeted early intervention has been shown to lead to improved student outcomes. Purpose:The primary objective of this study was to examine the characteristics of ELs as evaluated by state assessments and district benchmarks in reading and language as they relate to the identification for special education services. Two research questions guide this study: RQ1 -To what extent are theredifferences in reading and language assessment performance among ELs who were deemed eligible for special education services during elementary school versus those who remained in general education? RQ2 -What literacy and language measures best predict the future identification of EL students as learning disabled?Methods:The school district of interest in this study is a Title 1 district in a small, rural community. The sample used for the analysis was comprised of four cohorts of ELs. Two groups were considered EL students who were eligible for special education as LD at some point during elementary school while the other two were not identified for special education. The study proposed a quantitative methodology to obtain, analyze, and report findings related to the specific researchquestions posed. Archival data for the sample of students was accessed, with available data collected over a seven-year time frame from 2014-2021. Specific measures include Rigby reading levels, State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR), Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS), and district benchmark data. In addition to descriptive statistics to answer RQ1, multiple t-tests were conducted to compare performance between groups on the measures. A crosstabulation was run to determine growth for Rigby reading assessment in grades first through third. For RQ2 a visual aid was created to provide a visual analysis to examine trends and determine how the measures predict student identification as LD.Results: The data were analyzed using an independent t-test to determine a statistical difference in reading and language assessment performance in third to fifth grade among EL students. There was a statistically significant difference in means at all grade levels between ELs in special education and ELs not in special education (G3: t326= -3.717, p = .001; G4: t288= -3.167, p = .002; G5: t297= -4.984, p = .001). The second research question, a descriptive comparison, revealed that students who were low or not growing in both L1 and L2 are more prone to be below grade level on the STARR. Conclusion: This study aimed to examine the characteristics of ELs and their performance in reading over time. It was determined that third grade is a vital year for EL students to determine eligibility and placement for special education if needed based on the given data. If a student shows no growth in TELPAS and the district assessments in L1 and L2, it may indicate a learning disability rather than a language acquisition problem.

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Keywords

Keywords: bilingual, ESL, STAAR, TELPAS, English Learner, Benchmark

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