ESPAILLAT, SCOTT, GRIJALVA URGE GAO REVIEW OF PROTOCOLS TO IDENTIFY ENGLISH LEARNERS (ELs) TO BETTER SUPPORT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, Representatives Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), and Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03) sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) urging the agency to review the efficacy of protocols and procedures used to identify English Learners (ELs), including the use of Home Language Surveys (HLS).

"For years, schools have had difficulty distinguishing ELs who are struggling with English proficiency from ELs with learning disabilities. This misclassification may contribute to gaps in educational outcomes between EL and non-EL students," said the Members.

"Given the unique needs of ELs, and the degree to which the pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing disparities, it is imperative that school districts have the tools to appropriately identify and address EL students’ needs," they continued.

"As a result, we are concerned that EL students in states that use inconsistent or unclear questions, which may not recognize the complexities of languages students use in home life, are at a heightened risk of being misclassified," the Members concluded.

In their letter, the Members are requesting GAO examine challenges school districts face when identifying students as ELs and ELs with disabilities, outline the processes states use to identify students as ELs and ELs with disabilities, as well as disclose what data are collected to distinguish ELs struggling with language proficiency from those who have learning disabilities.

As of fall 2019, there were 5.1 million EL students in the United States, accounting for just over 10 percent of K-12 public school students.

Click here to read the letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in its entirety.

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