The Impact of Arizona’s English-Only Legislation on School Psychologists’ Assessment Practices With Bilingual Students

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 11:40 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Macro/Micro Language Policy in Bi-/Multilingual Education (Table 3)

Abstract

This qualitative study explores nine school psychologists' assessment practices with bilingual students when determining special education eligibility and how they consider culture, language, and instructional quality when educated under structured English immersion models. It addresses considerable gaps in understanding the influence of Arizona’s English-only law on bilingual students’ disability identification, which can have long-term implications for their educational outcomes. Participants completed two in-depth individual interviews examining their assessment practices with bilingual students and considerations utilized in their decision-making about special education eligibility. The findings of this study will inform the need to implement research-supported models for bilingual instruction and develop guidelines for assessing bilingual students.

Author

• Desiree Vega, University of Arizona