By Brandon K. Wright, Esq., and Christine G. Christensen, Esq.

English learners are already susceptible to academic struggles due to lack of equitable access to instructional material. And serving ELs with disabilities presents added difficulties, requiring application of several federal laws. This essential guide gives you an understanding of those laws and how they intersect, to help you avoid inadvertent missteps that can lead to over- or under-identifying EL students for special education services.

Analysis of legal provisions gives you a framework for compliant decision-making, while practical guidance helps you apply that framework to the real-life situations you face:

• Identifying who is an EL student as defined by ESSA and the IDEA
• Balancing civil rights laws and FAPE in a post-Endrew F. world
• Spotting potential hazards under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
• Considering dual eligibility under the IDEA and Section 504
• And more