Gotlieb discusses the identification of English language learners with disabilities with a research study from the Institute of Education Sciences. From the research literature came four questions that need to be asked to decipher whether an ELL’s academic challenges are related to developing a new language, a learning disability, or some other root cause. Keeping these four questions in mind when considering James’ case study, can we rule out language acquisition as a factor in explaining why these students struggled? What are your recommendations?
The four questions identified by the Institute for Education Sciences include “Is the student receiving instruction of sufficient quality to enable him or her to make the accepted levels of academic
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al, 2015). In James’ case study we are introduced to a English Learner (EL) who is in first grade. James’ native language is Haitian Creole who is at the beginning level of English proficiency (“[No title],” n.d.). “Is the student receiving instruction of sufficient quality to enable him or her to make the accepted levels of academic progress?” can be easily argued as “No” based on the observations of the class made by outside researchers (2015). One observation notes the lack of visual cues made by the teacher causing the children not to follow the directions of the teacher; this is an instructional issue not a learning issue (n.d.). “How does the student’s progress in hearing, speaking , reading and writing English as a second language compare with the expected rate of progress for his or her age and initial level of English proficiency?”can also be argued “No” based on the case study notes that states several of James’ peers (most of the EL a beginning level proficiency) have been recommended to the “child study team” for evaluation; this is a systemic issue in of the fact that criteria that are used to establish who should be recommended for evaluation for the “child” study team have not been established for developmental learning disabilities versus language acquisition levels (n.d.). “To what extent are behaviors that might otherwise indicate a learning disability considered