C225: Task 1
Melissa Rang
August 7, 2025
Annotated Bibliography
A Written Project Presented to the Faculty of the Teachers College
of Western Governors University
, 2
Education Related Research Topic
Effective Strategies for Accurately Identifying English Language Learners with Special
Education Needs
● This topic is of interest to me because I recently was a 5th-grade general education
teacher with several English Language Learners (ELLS) in my class, one of whom could
not identify written letters, understand phonemes, or read more than five sight words in
either English or his native language, Portuguese. The other ELLs were learning English
words and becoming proficient in communication. When I referred the struggling student
for special education testing, I was met with challenges, assuming it was a language
barrier, rather than a disability. This situation caused me to look further into this issue, as
I will be moving into a position as an ELL teacher this fall.
Relevant Key Words/ Strings of Words
1. Identifying English Language Learners for Special Education Services
2. Special Education Needs of English Language Learners
3. Identification and Assessment of ELLs
4. Linguistically Appropriate Assessments
5. Strategies and Interventions for ELLs
6. Culturally Responsive Assessments
7. ELLs and RTI
Additional Relevant Key Words/ Strings of Words
1. Disproportionate identification of ELLs
2. Outcomes and Challenges (academic, language proficiency, underidentification,
overidentification, misidentification)
C225: Task 1
Melissa Rang
August 7, 2025
Annotated Bibliography
A Written Project Presented to the Faculty of the Teachers College
of Western Governors University
, 2
Education Related Research Topic
Effective Strategies for Accurately Identifying English Language Learners with Special
Education Needs
● This topic is of interest to me because I recently was a 5th-grade general education
teacher with several English Language Learners (ELLS) in my class, one of whom could
not identify written letters, understand phonemes, or read more than five sight words in
either English or his native language, Portuguese. The other ELLs were learning English
words and becoming proficient in communication. When I referred the struggling student
for special education testing, I was met with challenges, assuming it was a language
barrier, rather than a disability. This situation caused me to look further into this issue, as
I will be moving into a position as an ELL teacher this fall.
Relevant Key Words/ Strings of Words
1. Identifying English Language Learners for Special Education Services
2. Special Education Needs of English Language Learners
3. Identification and Assessment of ELLs
4. Linguistically Appropriate Assessments
5. Strategies and Interventions for ELLs
6. Culturally Responsive Assessments
7. ELLs and RTI
Additional Relevant Key Words/ Strings of Words
1. Disproportionate identification of ELLs
2. Outcomes and Challenges (academic, language proficiency, underidentification,
overidentification, misidentification)
