Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies for English Language Learners with Learning Disabilities‪.‬

American schools of the 21st century face the challenge of educating the world's most diverse student body (McLeod, 1994; Sprangenberg, Urbaschat & Pritchard, 1994). This diversity is reflected in variations in achievement, socioeconomic status, cultural background, and linguistic background (Fletcher, Bos, & Johnson, 1999; Pallas, Natriello, & McDill, 1989). With respect to differences in linguistic background, current estimates indicate that more than 2 million students come from non-English-speaking backgrounds (Fleischman & Hopstock, 1993) and that by the year 2020, this number will reach 6 million (Pallas et al., 1989). Although this group comprises students from many linguistic backgrounds, the largest subgroup is Spanish speakers. Specifically, in American schools, native Spanish speakers make up approximately 75% of English language learner (ELL) student population, and the numbers continue to increase (Special Issues Analysis Center, 1995, as cited in Baca & de Valenzuela, 1998). For the field of learning disabilities, the increasing number of native-Spanish speakers has led to increasing concerns over the identification of appropriate assessment practices and effective instructional strategies for ELL. Nevertheless, minimal research has focused on examining effective teaching strategies for ELL with learning disabilities (LD) when compared to the amount of research dedicated to issues related to the identification of appropriate assessment practices. Minimizing this gap in the literature is important given the low educational attainment of ELL and the increasing emphasis on selecting strategies that are scientifically based (ED., 2002). Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS; Fuchs, Fuchs, Mathes, & Simmons, 1997) is one strategy previously established as effective for native English-speaking students with LD in general education classrooms (Fuchs et al., 1997) that may also have potential for ELL with LD.