Idaho Says District Incorrectly Labeled ELL Students for Special Education

March 9, 2010

The Idaho education department has found that the Nampa district incorrectly labeled English-language learners as eligible for special education services.

The school district is now working to improve its procedures and correct the missteps, including m aking changes to how $400,000 in funding is spent on education programs.

The state “red flagged” the Nampa district for consistently overidentifying students learning English as “language impaired,” which is considered a learning disability.

District spokeswoman Allison Westfall says a major part of the improvement plan includes training staff members on the differences between a language-based learning disability and a student’s language acquisition.