America’s public schools are increasingly faced with the complex task of
addressing the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students, including
English Language Learners (ELLs) who, in 2000-01, comprised 9.6% of Pre-
Kindergarten through twelfth grade nationwide public school enrollmentdiffered
significantly between ELL and non-ELL students. IC Teams were found to be more
effective than existing prereferral intervention teams in decreasing the special education
referrals of ELL and non-ELL students. The results of the present study serve as a
foundation for future research in the areas of at-risk ELL students and their referrals to
prereferral intervention teams and special education