The achievement gap between African American students and their Caucasian peers is a problem that has persisted within the educational system since the early 1970s. Researchers have been investigating whether differences in oral language, such as, Nonmainstream American English (NMAE) use contribute to this gap. There is also concern from researchers about teachers' and speech-language pathologists' (SLP) perceptions of NMAE use within academic settings, along with the methods that teachers and SLPs use to respond to linguistic differences. The purpose of this current research was to examine first, third, and fifth-grade teachers' and elementary school-based SLPs' perceptions of and responses to the African American English (AAE) dialect based on oral and written language examples. A survey method elicited demographic information, perceptions, and responses to AAE use from participants. Descriptive analyses revealed that the participants had negative perceptions of AAE use. Chi Square and logistic regression analyses revealed that perceptions did not impact the likelihood of the participants responding using the actions provided. Neither professional development nor whether or not the participants reported to use AAE themselves was associated with most of the responses to students' use of AAE. The results suggest that teachers and SLPs have negative perceptions regarding students AAE use. However, the participants' perceptions were less likely to influence how they respond to AAE use. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]