Dr. Soyoung Park, an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin, is a collaborator in our ODE/OSU partnership and national expert in supporting English learners with disabilities. She led an initiative with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to develop the English Learners with Disabilities Guide.

The purpose of the guide is to help states create policies for identifying and best serving English learners with disabilities. The guide focuses on collaboration among English learner, special education, and general education personnel; interventions for preventing inappropriate special education referrals; culturally and linguistically responsive practices; comprehensive evaluation measures; professional development; and suggestions for IEP teams.

At the March 2018 State English Learners Alliance Conference hosted by the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators, Dr. Park presented a draft of guidelines for exiting English learners with disabilities. You can access her Power Point presentation here: Park_ExitingELSWD_PreConference_3.7.18.