Assessment Practices of Multi-disciplinary School Team Members in Determining Special Education Services for English Language Learners

Multidisciplinary team members were surveyed to identify the frequency with which they use recommended assessment practices, how they interpret assessment information, and their confidence working with English Language Learners (ELLs) for the purpose of determining possible eligibility to receive special education services. Results of this study support the idea that recommendations from the literature are being increasingly put into practice by professionals working directly with students. Findings also indicate that professionals benefit from higher education and in-service trainings that focus specifically on issues relating to the assessment of ELLs for the determination of possible provision of special education services. Furthermore, results support the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration.