In the United States, approximately 11.8% of students receiving special education are Emergent Bilingual (EB) students (Office of Special Education Programs [OSEP], 2022). Emergent bilingual students are frequently referred to as English Learners (ELs) or Limited English Proficient (LEP) students which portray them through a deficit lens and disregards their home language and cultural knowledge. Instead, EB students should be portrayed through an asset-based lens, as they are simultaneously acquiring skills in both English and their home language (Garcia et al., 2008; Poza, 2017). Emergent bilingual students qualify for special education, at least in part, due to the challenges differentiating language acquisition from learning disability. Few evidence-based interventions are available for EB students and when coupled, these factors affect the accuracy of identification and equitable access to education. The purpose of this survey was to gather the perspectives of school psychologists on the Central Coast of California and understand the extent to which best practices for EB students are implemented through Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). The findings suggest areas of strength and areas of improvement in the implementation of these practices which can offer valuable insights into the “on-the-ground” implementation in Central Coast schools.
