Navigating competing policy demands: Dual service provision for English learners with disabilities in middle school

Research has documented that service provision for English learners (ELs) with disabilities is a complicated endeavor in K–12 schools. Recent studies have examined how English language development and special education services are often in tension with one another, as logistical and ideological bar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Language policy 2023-09, Vol.22 (3), p.315-341
Main Authors: Kangas, Sara E. N., Cook, Megan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied Linguistics
Attitudes toward Disabilities
Case studies
Delivery Systems
Disability studies
Education policy
Educational Environment
Educational Policy
English as a second language learning
English language
English Language Learners
Equal Education
Intersectionality
Language Education
Language instruction
Learning
Learning environment
Linguistics
Middle School Students
Middle schools
Oppression
Original Paper
People with disabilities
Political Science
Schools
Social Bias
Social Sciences
Sociolinguistics
Special Education
Students with Disabilities
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Summary:Research has documented that service provision for English learners (ELs) with disabilities is a complicated endeavor in K–12 schools. Recent studies have examined how English language development and special education services are often in tension with one another, as logistical and ideological barriers hinder efforts in schools to provide these dual services. Despite these findings, studies to date have solely investigated elementary contexts, leaving scarce understanding of service provision in secondary grades. This qualitative embedded case study examined dual service provision for 12 ELs with disabilities across two middle schools. Utilizing intersectionality for its theoretical framework, the analysis revealed that dual service provision policies and academic tracking structures melded in ways that resulted in interrelated social, linguistic, and academic oppression for ELs with disabilities. The findings highlight the importance of examining schools’ de facto language education policies and learning environments to ensure equitable opportunities for the academic and linguistic development of ELs with disabilities.
ISSN:1568-4555
1573-1863
DOI:10.1007/s10993-023-09653-8