Re: Special Ed ELLs

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Illinois Teachers Chatboard

Re: Special Ed ELLs

by sped

May 31, 2011

Hi! I have a few questions about students who qualify for >both sped and ESL services. I hope someone can help me. 1) >I've been told that in an inclusion classroom, only 30% of >the students can have IEPs. Correct?

Eh, that's usually the standard, but if you want to get technical, and we typically do in lean budget times, then there can only be 30% of students receiving SERVICES in that particular class. So, if a student is in an inclusion class for Math, but isn't receiving "math minutes," then he/she doesn't have to be counted in that 30 percent. They typically are, but the way state regs are written, they don't count.

> 2) If students with >IEPs also qualify for ESL services, do the IEPs determine >whether or not the student will receive those services?

Typically no. The ISBE mandated IEP has a section which details sped services to be delivered in another language, or in response to language needs, but..., districts don't usually do thi...See MoreHi! I have a few questions about students who qualify for >both sped and ESL services. I hope someone can help me. 1) >I've been told that in an inclusion classroom, only 30% of >the students can have IEPs. Correct?

Eh, that's usually the standard, but if you want to get technical, and we typically do in lean budget times, then there can only be 30% of students receiving SERVICES in that particular class. So, if a student is in an inclusion class for Math, but isn't receiving "math minutes," then he/she doesn't have to be counted in that 30 percent. They typically are, but the way state regs are written, they don't count.

> 2) If students with >IEPs also qualify for ESL services, do the IEPs determine >whether or not the student will receive those services?

Typically no. The ISBE mandated IEP has a section which details sped services to be delivered in another language, or in response to language needs, but..., districts don't usually do this. This is because if you write in the that services have to be provided in X language, then you need to have a special ed teacher who is also a certified bilingual teacher in that language. If you write that services need to be performed that enter the ELL realm, then you need a sped and ELL certified teacher (ELL teachers in IL are trained in English instruction to ELLs, so it's not in a foreign language). You probably don't have one of those to provide those services, and no LEA rep is going to sign off on something that mandates such a large expenditure like hiring another teacher.

> 3) >If #2 is yes, then under what circumstances would the >students NOT receive ESL services?

Typically, parents are given a choice to focus on the ELL needs or the IEP/Sped needs. They go to program X or program Y. If they end up on the ELL or Bilingual-side, and they have an IEP, it will basically be a consult thing.

To have anything different (like an actual Bilingual or ELL special ed program) you would need to have one, or both, of two things. Either a very large population needing Bil or ELL AND special ed services, and/or a very litigious parent or group of parents. Keep in mind, ELL, Bilingual, and special ed teachers have typically been shortage fields. Finding a special ed teacher also certified in ELL or fluent in a needed language is very difficult, and in some cases impossible.

Also, throw onto the pile that while most special ed teachers have stories about the parent from you-know-where who went to due process and/or court and so on, most Special Ed and ELL parents are..., quite frankly, sheep.

I hate to be that blunt, but they are usually poor, uneducated, and overwhelmingly minority. Now, yes, maybe you live in Schaumburg, and you have a fairly large population of ELLs whose parents are Engineers or Scientists, or maybe you're in a college town and you have an occasional special ed kid whose parent is a college professor, but most of the time, IEP and ELL students' parents..., take our first offer, and don't have a clue on how to fight for more, and likely wouldn't know what to ask for if they wanted to fight for something. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, but that's the exception, not the rule. So, we do what we can for them, with the resources we have...

> 4) Are there any >restrictions on creating ESL cluster classrooms that are >also inclusion classrooms?

I.... dunno. To my knowledge, ELLs are basically considered reg ed, from the sped point of view. So, when looking at percentage, if an ELL student doesn't have an IEP, then he doesn't count in the 30%. Beyond that, I'm not sure, but I haven't had to cross that bridge.

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