Abstract
Statement of Collaboration
Heidi Linscheid and Liana Lopes worked collaboratively to complete all parts of this project.
Research suggests that the majority of special education referrals of English learners are related to cultural and language factors (Rhodes, Ochoa, & Ortiz, 2005). It appears that English learners are often referred due to behavioral, cultural and linguistic differences rather than the presence of a learning disability. In addition, English learners are over-represented in special education programs. This project includes a review of current literature in order to determine factors that contribute to the overrepresentation. Specifically, the role of language, culture, education, and behavior are examined. A practical checklist was developed to help school based pre-referral teams collect vital information to help decrease the number of unnecessary referrals to special education. The development of this project is based on research obtained through journal articles, books, professional conferences, and discussions with professionals in the field. The developed checklist may help bring awareness to the factors that impede the learning of ELs and may help school based teams in making decisions about referral to special education.