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The Assessment and Intervention Model for the Bilingual Exceptional Student (AIM for the BESt) suggests a service delivery system designed to (a) improve the academic performance of limited English proficient students in regular and special education programs, (b) reduce the inappropriate referral of LEP students to special education, and (c) ensure that assessment procedures are nonbiased The model involves the use of three interventions: campus-based problem-solving teams, criterion-referenced or curriculum-based assessment, and effective instructional practices, with a focus on reciprocal interaction teaching. This article describes the model and suggests the type of inservice training needed by regular and special educators who serve language-minority studetns.

Results are reported for an exploratory study of eligibility decisions made for 21 Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) with learning disabilities (LD) and no secondary disabilities who received special education support in reading. Eligibility determinations by an expert panel resulted in decisions that differed significantly from those of school multidisciplinary teams. The panel agreed that some students appeared to have reading-related LD (n = 5) but also identified students that they believed had disabilities, but not necessarily reading-related LD (n = 6). Another group of students (n = 10) had learning problems that the panel believed could be attributed to factors other than LD or for whom substantive additional data would be required to validate eligibility. Issues associated with referral, assessment, and eligibility determinations for ELLs are discussed, and recommendations for improving practice are offered, with an emphasis on the importance of linking data from multiple sources when deciding whether ELLs qualify for special education.

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Intervention assistance teams (IATs) can help teachers design and implement interventions to improve the performance of English language learners (ELLs) who are experiencing academic or behavioral difficulties, providing the supports needed to resolve many such difficulties within the context of general education. If interventions are unsuccessful and ELLs are subsequently referred for special education, eligibility decisions are informed by documentation that students did not make adequate progress despite general education problem solving and that students' problems cannot be explained by such factors as limited English proficiency or cultural differences. To be successful, however, IATs must accurately interpret data about ELLs and design culturally and linguistically responsive interventions. This article presents considerations in implementing IATs for ELLs, including team membership, the knowledge base needed by team members, intervention design, and recordkeeping.