Student Services → Bilingual Assessment Team → Head Start and Pre-Kindergarten ESOL students

Head Start and Pre-Kindergarten ESOL students

Students in Montgomery County Public Schools Head Start or Pre-kindergarten programs who are currently enrolled in ESOL or have exited less than a year prior to referral are referred to the Bilingual Assessment Team (BAT) when they are suspected of having a disability other than a speech or language impairment.

Those who are suspected of having a speech or language impairment without any further complicating factors are screened and assessed by Head Start personnel, using an interpreter when necessary.

When a disability other than speech or language is suspected or a special class appears to be in order, the case is referred by the school's Educational Management Team (EMT) for language dominance determination.

When the student is found to be dominant in a language other than English, the case is referred to BAT at a screening IEP meeting that a BAT instructional assessment specialist attends. A BAT instructional assessment specialist will conduct the educational assessment if recommended. When the student is found to be mixed (English and other languages) dominant, the educational assessment is to be conducted by a Head Start or Pre-K special educator in English.

At present only educational assessment services are provided by the BAT to this population on a regular basis.

Speech or language assessments and psychological assessments are provided by Head Start or Pre-K personnel, using an interpreter when necessary.