The number of English Language Learner (ELL) students continues to increase dramatically in U.S. schools. It is estimated that by the year 2030, 40% of the school population will speak English as a second language. Demands for early identification and intervention services for students experiencing difficulties with schooling have combined with heightened accountability demands to increase the need for effective ways to screen and monitor the progress of students, ELLs in particular, who are at risk for academic difficulties.

This research examines procedures for screening and monitoring student progress that are essential for the appropriate use of Response-to-Intervention (RTI) models with ELL students. To accomplish this goal, we will:

1. Establish the reliability, validity, and predictive accuracy of existing universal screening literacy instruments—including general curriculum-based measurement procedures for use with ELLs;
2. Establish the reliability, validity, utility, and cost-effectiveness of existing progress monitoring procedures for use with ELLs through the use of traditional psychometric procedures with more sophisticated growth mixture modeling procedures to be used to distinguish between ELL students making adequate academic progress and ELL students who are at risk for academic failure for reasons other than second-language acquisition; and
3. Establish the connection between English language acquisition and literacy skills to define appropriate and scientifically-based guidelines for universal screening and progress monitoring procedures with ELLs.

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