Abstract
The investigators sought to determine whether education evaluators, mainly school psychologists, complied with federal, state, and professional practice guidelines when assessing English learning (EL) school-aged children suspected of a learning disability in three northern California school districts. In accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (U.S. Congress, 2004), all intellectual and academic assessments must be selected and administered by properly trained assessors so as not to be racially, culturally, and linguistically inappropriate. The investigators reviewed the academic assessment reports of 88 EL children who, at the time of the study, had been receiving both special education as well as English as a Second Language instruction. We investigated the cumulative files to identify if evaluators consider the student's primary language by using culturally appropriate tests and interpreters, communicating with families, and consideration other important factors such as their attendance, grades, sex, and other factors. The investigators discovered that out of the 88 children, 76 were assessed in English only although all spoke English as their second language. In addition, none of the school psychologists employed the use of an interpreter during any portion of the assessment process. Findings present a compelling case for greater university program and local in-service training on appropriate assessment procedures for school psychologists when assessing EL children for LD.