Dive Brief:

• An external review of the Dallas Independent School District found Latino students have been underserved by special education programs because of communication problems, including language barriers.
• The Dallas Morning News reports parents did not routinely receive interpretation and translation services to better understand their children’s needs and some families thought they had to choose between English-language services and special education services.
• While the district has reduced the overrepresentation of black students in special education in recent years, English learners have only become increasingly underrepresented, and report authors recommend hiring more staff members, including creating a leadership position to oversee bilingual special education services.

Dive Insight:

The problems identified in Dallas are a nationwide issue. School districts have a hard time identifying cognitive capacity when students speak another language, and the consequences of missing early diagnoses are great. Students with hearing impairments, for example, can be left years behind because of a straightforward disability.

English-learners are the fastest-growing population in U.S. schools and districts that have never had to create a comprehensive system for serving them, and their families are finding a growing need as immigrants settle in increasingly diverse regions. Overcoming language barriers is a federal mandate in public schools; it is a civil rights issue. When parents cannot get information about their child’s school because they don’t speak English, it is considered discrimination based on national origin. Districts everywhere need to pay attention to this issue.