English language learners with reading-related LD: Linking data from multiple sources to make eligibility determinations

Results are reported for an exploratory study of eligibility decisions made for 21 Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) with learning disabilities (LD) and no secondary disabilities who received special education support in reading. Eligibility determinations by an expert panel resulted in decisions that differed significantly from those of school multidisciplinary teams. The panel agreed that some students appeared to have reading-related LD (n = 5) but also identified students that they believed had disabilities, but not necessarily reading-related LD (n = 6). Another group of students (n = 10) had learning problems that the panel believed could be attributed to fac-tors other than LD or for whom substantive additional data would be required to validate eligibility. Issues associated with referral, as-sessment, and eligibility determinations for ELLs are discussed, and recommendations for improving practice are offered, with an emphasis on the importance of linking data from multiple sources when deciding whether ELLs qualify for special education. The field of special education iscurrently immersed in a debateover the definition of learning disabilities (LD). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) amendments of 1997 defined LD as follows: The term means a disorder in one o