What accounts for the disproportionately high representation of ELs in ESS/special education and disproportionately low representation in gifted and talented programs? Support your response with at least one scholarly resource.
What can a teacher do to help identify gifted and talented students within the EL population? What are some ways you can help develop the gifts and talents of ELs in your classroom?
2.Who are long-term English learners (LTEL), recently arrived English learners (RAEL), and students with interrupted formal education (SIFE)? What are some factors that influence their English language acquisition? How do the EL special populations of refugee, migrant, immigrant, and Native American, relate to LTEL, RAEL, and SIFE?
Sample Answer
The over-representation and under-representation of English Learners (ELs) in specialized education programs is a critical issue of equity in modern schooling. It often stems from a systemic inability to distinguish between linguistic development and cognitive ability.
1. Disproportionate Representation of ELs
The disproportionate placement of ELs in Exceptional Student Services (ESS) and their exclusion from Gifted and Talented (GT) programs usually result from the following factors:
Linguistic Bias in Assessment: Many standardized IQ and GT screening tests rely heavily on English proficiency. An EL may possess high cognitive potential but "fail" a screening because they do not yet have the academic vocabulary to express complex ideas in English.
"Wait to Fail" vs. Over-identification: Some districts delay testing ELs for years to allow for language acquisition, while others mistake the "silent period" or normal second-language errors (like syntax confusion) as evidence of a learning disability (LD).
Cultural Mismatch: Behaviors that signal "giftedness" in Western cultures (e.g., outspokenness, questioning authority) may differ from how giftedness is expressed in a student's home culture.