Insights on Learning Disabilities is published by Learning Disabilities Worldwide (LDW). For further information about learning disabilities, LDW’s many other publications and membership, please visit our website: www.ldworldwide.org. 15 Insights on Learning Disabilities 7(1), 15-28, 2010 Copyright @ by LDW 2010 Piloting a Pre-Referral Data Collection Tool: A Documentary Account Andrea Honigsfeld Audrey Cohan Molloy College his documentary account addresses key questions for teachers to consider when they are trying to determine if an English Language Learner (ELL) is having diiculty in school due to second language acquisition issues or special needs. he Pre-Referral Data Collection Tool for ELLs with a Pos- sible Learning Disability, developed by the authors, is designed to serve as a comprehensive instrument that can be utilized as part of the pre-referral process. his instrument is to be completed by multiple educators with varied perspectives, in an efort to understand the learning process of the “whole child.” he authors also share feedback ofered by educators (from districts faced with increasing numbers of ELLs) who have had an oppor- tunity to pilot the tool. D uring the last few years, the number of ELLs has risen dramatically across the United States. Teachers have needed to adapt their instructional prac- tices to better meet the needs of these children. Statistics show that nearly 1 in 5 Americans speaks a language other than English at home (Shin & Bruno, 2003). Additionally, births to foreign-born women account for 1 in 5 births in the United States; this is up from 1 in 20, three decades ago (Shin & Bruno, 2003). At the same time, teachers are questioning the placement of ELLs within their school districts. The type of placement often depends on the number of ELLs within a district, the educational philosophy, and the resources available. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Teachers, evaluators, and administrators have begun to report that the ELL placement issue is being complicated by the question of whether or not many of these children also need special education support and related services. Depending on the district and its philosophy, there can be an under-represen- tation of ELLs in special education, an overrepresentation of ELLs in special education, or a misrepresentation of ELLs in special education settings. These trends are similar to the indings of McCardle, Mele-McCarthy, Cutting, Leos, and D’Emilio (2005), who examined national percentages of ELLs receiving or not receiving services. These researchers have highlighted the