A National Survey of the Educational Planning and Language Instruction Practices for Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities Who are English Language Learners

This article examines findings from a national survey of a sample of special educators who serve students with moderate to severe disabilities who are English language learners (ELLs). The survey requested information related to respondent assessment and instructional practices, second language resource availability, satisfaction, and language decision procedures for ELL students. Results indicated many of the respondents assessed and instructed their students in English, lacked ELL training, experienced resource shortages, and did not include parents in the language of instruction decision. Additional findings revealed that teacher satisfaction was predicted by the availability of second language resources, and the administration appeared to have a significant influence on the inclusion/exclusion of parents in the language decision process. The implications of these findings are presented.