Developing a Multilingual Learner Strand
An initiative to help SBC SELPA’s member LEAs better support students who are both English Learners and Students with Disabilities.
Status: Early stage — gathering input from district leaders, educators, service providers, and families
Why This Matters
Across SBC SELPA's member LEAs, 10,376 students currently have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), according to SIRAS IEP Data. Of those, 2,337 — about 22.5% — are currently classified as English Learners, and another 2,120 have been reclassified as Fluent English Proficient (RFEP). Together, nearly 43% of students with IEPs have current or former English Learner status. This strand focuses specifically on this population: students with IEPs who are also English Learners.
These students, often called "dually identified" students, are entitled to both language assistance services and disability-related services under federal law. This strand is intended to help SBC SELPA's member LEAs support these students through one coordinated approach.
Potential Areas of Focus
- Identification & Assessment
Distinguishing a language difference from a disability using pre-referral interventions and multi-tiered supports, before a special education referral. - Language vs. Disability
Telling apart typical stages of second-language acquisition from indicators of an actual disability. - Linguistically Appropriate IEP Goals
Writing goals that reflect a student's language development alongside their disability-related needs. - Instructional Strategies
Classroom practices that serve both a student's language and disability-related needs together. - Cross-Team Collaboration
Coordinating EL specialists, special educators, and general education staff around the same student.
Where This Stands
Where We Are Now
Introducing this topic to gather initial thoughts and reactions from district leaders, educators, service providers, and families.
Next Steps
Reaching out to district leaders, educators, service providers, and families to learn what supports currently exist for multilingual learners with disabilities.
Possible Approach
May start with a small number of LEAs before expanding SELPA-wide.
Long Term Direction
A SELPA-wide professional learning framework.
This page will be updated as the strand develops.