Which case is associated with the requirement that students be assessed in their home language?

Which case is associated with the requirement that students be assessed in their home language?

• A. Mills v. Board of Education D.C.
• B. PASE v. Hannon
• C. PARC v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
• D. Diana v. Board of Education

Answer: (D)

Language must be considered when assessing students, especially when they are not fully proficient in English. The Diana v. Board of Education case established that evaluating a language minority student for special education requires testing in the student’s home language whenever feasible, rather than relying solely on English-made assessments. This protects the student from being misclassified due to language differences and calls for using appropriate, culturally and linguistically appropriate tools and bilingual evaluators when possible. In practice, it means educators should seek translations, nonverbal measures, or alternative assessments that reflect the student’s true abilities, ensuring fair identification and appropriate services.

Language must be considered when assessing students, especially when they are not fully proficient in English. The Diana v. Board of Education case established that evaluating a language minority student for special education requires testing in the student’s home language whenever feasible, rather than relying solely on English-made assessments. This protects the student from being misclassified due to language differences and calls for using appropriate, culturally and linguistically appropriate tools and bilingual evaluators when possible. In practice, it means educators should seek translations, nonverbal measures, or alternative assessments that reflect the student’s true abilities, ensuring fair identification and appropriate services.