English learners, particularly Hispanic Spanish-speaking students, were disproportionately identified for special education in the Specific Learning Disability category¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associationalr?·q2
Currency · newest study 2021 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2026: baselines and conditions change
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q2 i? Hispanic Spanish-speaking English learners with disabilities were the most likely students in California elementary schools to be found eligible for special education and identified in the Specific Learning Disability category. → Doutre 2021
Evidence¶
Doutre 2021¶
Doutre, S. M., Willis, J., Barrett, T., Ripma, T., Caparas, R., & Krausen, K. (2021). California State Special Education Funding System Study, Part 2: Findings, Implications, and Considerations for Improving Special Education Funding in California. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED616106
q2 · i? · associational · r?
Analysis of California identification data (Exhibit E-3, from CASEMIS and CALPADS, 2018/19) found "English learners with disabilities who were Hispanic and Spanish-speaking" were most likely to be identified in the SLD category, possibly because English-learning challenges were mistaken for learning disabilities.
"English learners with disabilities who were Hispanic and Spanish-speaking were the most likely students in California elementary schools to be found eligible for special education and identified for the Specific Learning Disability category."
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Multilingual learners in California are disproportionately represented in special education, especially in the Specific Learning Disability category — a broader claim this one bears on
- Special education identification is disproportionate for English learner and socioeconomically disadvantaged students in California — a broader claim this one bears on
- Economically disadvantaged, English learner, special education, Black, and Hispanic students were more likely than peers to be ever below benchmark — related
- Experts report likely overrepresentation of foster children in special education and no direct clear evidence that special education works for them — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
english-learners-disproportionate-sld-identification |
title |
English learners, particularly Hispanic Spanish-speaking students, were disproportionately identified for special education in the Specific Learning Disability category |
description |
English learners, particularly Hispanic Spanish-speaking students, were disproportionately identified for special education in the Specific Learning Disability category |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2021 |
recheck_by |
2026 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-09 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — doutre-2021 |
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