In the context of U.S. K-12 schools, recent scholarship has demonstrated that English learners (ELs) often become overrepresented in special education in secondary grades, as they are unable to meet reclassification criteria established by state policies. Research, however, has yet to examine the implementation of reclassification policies specific to ELs with disabilities. This ethnographic study at two middle schools investigated the local implementation of one state's policy that aimed to promote ELs with disabilities’ reclassification. The findings indicate that although the policy increased reclassification rates for ELs with disabilities, both the policy itself and its implementation introduced new inequities. As a consequence, educators held two competing views of the policy and its implementation, with some lauding its promotion of equity, while others arguing that it functioned as mechanism for discrimination. These findings have implications for implementing reclassification policies that are both responsive to ELs with disabilities and data-based.

在美国K-12学校的背景下，最近的一项奖学金表明，英语学习者（ELs）在中等教育中经常变得过多，因为他们不能满足国家政策规定的重新分类标准。但是，研究尚未审查针对残疾EL的重新分类政策的实施情况。这项在两所中学进行的人种学研究调查了当地对一个州政策的实施情况，该政策旨在促进​​残疾人的重新分类。调查结果表明，尽管该政策提高了对残疾EL的重新分类率，但该政策本身及其实施都引入了新的不平等现象。结果，教育者对政策及其实施持两种不同的看法，有些人称赞其促进平等，而另一些人则称其起到了歧视机制的作用。这些发现对实施重分类政策具有启示意义，该政策既可对残疾EL作出反应，又可基于数据。