Best Practices in the Assessment of English Learners for Special Education

Best Practices in the Assessment of English Learners for Special Education provides participants with practical training in evaluating and identifying English Learners suspected of having a disability in a way that incorporates research and best practice through the lens of due process requirements. Although participants will not leave proficient in this subject as it isn't possible to become so in a day, they will leave with a wealth of information to further their learning as well as ways to apply much of the information in a practical fashion. Practicality is the theme of this training. Areas discussed include: The English Language Learner (second language acquisition, language proficiency testing, acculturation), MTSS/Pre-referral Phase (team membership/roles, RtI/pre-referral intervention activities, ICEL/RIOT, problem solving processes), and Special Education Referral and Evaluation (due process requirements, informal assessment, standardized testing). Over 100 resources will be provided, including reproducibles, procedural documents, report writing samples, and templates. The following areas will be addressed:

• Second Language Acquisition – BICS and CALP in both languages, language profiles
• Acculturation
• Instructional models for EL students
• ACCESS for ELLs test
• Calculating language proficiency growth
• Factors to consider prior to a referral
• Writing up eligibility criteria
• MTSS team membership
• Root Cause Analysis
• ICEL/RIOT
• Conducting observations
• Conducting interviews
• Adaptive behavior
• Behavior Rating scales
• Cognitive Testing
• Decision-Making Model
• Achievement testing

Who Should Attend?  School psychologists, special education teachers, EL teachers, school social workers, speech/language pathologists, special education coordinators, and administrators. While schools may opt to send any of these individuals, it is recommended consideration be given to sending a team. Evaluating a student from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds requires a team of diverse and knowledgeable members.

Presenter Info:  Tyson Zitzow works for St. Cloud Area Schools as a school psychologist. He also consults with school districts around Minnesota on a variety of topics. He holds special education teaching licenses in school psychology, specific learning disabilities and emotional/behavioral disorders. He graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead with a B.S. in Special Education, M.S. in School Psychology, and Ed.S. in School Psychology. He works at Talahi Elementary School and serves as St. Cloud Area Schools' EL Evaluation Consultant. He has served on the Executive Board of the Minnesota School Psychologists Association (MSPA) and as the editor of School Psychology Minnesota, the official publication of the MSPA.