Promoting Equitable Reclassification of English Learners with Disabilities 1 Introduction In U.S. K–12 schools, students dually identified as English learners (ELs) and students with disabilities are a growing population. From 2006 to 2020, the percentage of ELs with disabilities increased by over 50%, with some states experiencing even greater growth rates (Cooc, 2023). With these increases, 16.1% of all ELs in public schools have identified disabilities (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). Despite their prevalence among ELs, in 2018, dually identified students constituted only 0.8% of the 14.2% of ELs reclassified as English proficient and just 3.6% of the 27.4% of ELs making progress in their English language proficiency (ELP; U.S. Office of English Language Acquisition, 2021). As a consequence, a large proportion of ELs with disabilities eventually become long-term ELs (LTELs; Burke et al., 2016; Kieffer & Parker, 2016; Shin, 2020), students who have been receiving language services for five years or more. Although percentages vary across the U.S., in some states, nearly half of ELs with disabilities reach LTEL status (Sahakyan & Ryan, 2018). While receipt of language services is a civil right guaranteed for all ELs, remaining in language services for prolonged periods of time can be associated with unequal learning opportunities, including limited access to peers, rigorous content-area instruction, and college preparatory courses (Callahan & Shifrer, 2016; Dabach, 2014; Menken et al., 2012; Thompson, 2015). At the same time, prematurely reclassifying ELs with disabilities can deprive them of the language services they need to access the general education curriculum as well as disability-related services. Given such disparities, ensuring equitable reclassification—whereby ELs with disabilities are not unnecessarily retained in nor prematurely exited from language services—is important for their learning and life chances. The purpose of this policy brief is twofold: (1) to provide the latest trends and research findings regarding equitable reclassification for dually identified students (2) to promote collaboration between EL and special education state education agency (SEA) leaders The purpose of this policy brief is twofold. First, it provides state education agency (SEA) leaders with: (a) a portrait of the reclassification policy landscape in the U.S., (b) the latest research findings regarding equitable reclassification, and (c) recommendations for promoting reclassification policies and procedures that consider the unique needs of dually identified students. In developing this policy brief, current reclassification policies for ELs with and without disabilities were identified for all 50 states and the District of Columbia and then were independently verified by SEA leaders primarily from EL departments1. Recommendations featured in this brief are drawn from these policy trends, reclassification guidance from states, and the latest empirical research. Second, this brief seeks to promote collaboration at the SEA level between EL and special education departments. SEA leaders commonly report working in siloes (Hopkins et al., 2022), further contributing to a lack of coherence in systems at the state level. In reclassification, such siloes result in policies and initiatives that do not fully consider the multiple intersecting needs of ELs with disabilities. To more fully account for disabilities in reclassification, EL and special education state leaders can utilize this policy brief to anchor their collaborative discussions, as they together refine state policies and support local educational agencies (LEAs). 1 Verification of reclassification policies were received for 46 states and the District of Columbia in summer and fall 2023.
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