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Special Education/IDEA
Truth in Labeling: Disproportionality in Special Education
The NEA Education Policy and Practice Department is offering a new educators' guide, Truth in Labeling: Disproportionality in Special Education.
More about Disproportionality
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NEA views disproportionality -- when students of a particular population or demographic group are over- or underrepresented in special or gifted education programs relative to their group's presence in the overall student population -- as an important issue to address in local or state efforts to close the gaps in student achievement.
Parents, teachers, administrators, school board members, community decision-makers, education support professionals, and NEA local association leaders all have a stake in making certain that students who are culturally and linguistically diverse receive an excellent and appropriate education.
Truth in Labeling is a collaborative effort of the NEA and the National Association of School Psychologists. The guide provides educators with basic information about disproportionality -- what it is, what causes it, and what the implications are for students, schools, and the community. It offers recommendations on addressing disproportionality at the classroom, school, and community levels. And, it includes helpful research references and resources.
The Truth in Labeling guide can be purchased from the NEA Professional Library at a special NEA member price of $9.95 (nonmember price is $12.95). You can also download a free copy here ( PDF, 1.1 MB, 56 pages).
While you are online, you may also want to purchase copies of NEA's first educators' guide (The Puzzle of Autism ) or the second guide (The Twice-Exceptional Dilemma ) from the NEA Professional Library.
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Disproportionality:
Inappropriate Identification of
Culturally and Linquistically Diverse Children
Every student is a unique snapshot of American culture. Whether our children speak Spanish, Korean, or non-standard English, live in Hispanic or white households, or qualify for food stamps -- they bring to the classroom a wealth of experiences, skills, learning styles, and abilities that add value. Far too often, children from diverse backgrounds who fall behind in their learning are inappropriately labeled as needing special education. What they may really need is academic support and the opportunity to learn in a culturally responsive environment.
-- NEA President Reg Weaver
 Disproportionate representation of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students in special education programs has been a concern for nearly four decades. [1] One of the most complex issues in the field of special education today, disproportionality refers to the "overrepresentation" and "under-representation" of a particular demographic group in special education programs relative to the presence of this group in the overall student population. Approximately 13.5 percent of all students in K-12 schools receive special education services. However, some subgroups of CLD populations receive special services at rates that are significantly higher or lower than the overall national rate. [2]
Disproportionality exists in various forms and at different levels. For example, overrepresentation can be present in any or all of these ways:
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National, state, and district level over-identification of CLD students as disabled;
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Higher incidence rates for certain CLD populations in specific special education categories, such as mental retardation or emotional disturbance;
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Significant differences in the proportion of CLD students who are receiving special education services in more restrictive or segregated programs;
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Excessive incidence, duration, and types of disciplinary actions, including suspensions and expulsions, experienced by CLD students.
Some CLD groups are under-represented because the proportions of these students who receive special services are notably less than the percentage of these same students in the overall school population. For example, Hispanics and Asian and Pacific Islanders are generally under-represented in special education programs while American Indians/Alaska Natives are under-represented in programs for the gifted.
Why is disproportionality a concern?
Research suggests that a child's race and ethnicity significantly influence the probability that he or she will be misidentified as needing special education and that disproportionality can have immediate and long term negative effects. [3] Labeling students as disabled when they really are not leads to unwarranted services and supports. Misidentified students are likely to encounter limited access to rigorous curricula and diminished expectations. And, more importantly, it creates a false impression of the child's intelligence and academic potential. Here's why:
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Once students are receiving special education services, they tend to remain in special education classes.
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Students are likely to encounter a limited, less rigorous curriculum.
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Lower expectations can lead to diminished academic and post-secondary opportunities.
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Students in special education programs can have less access to academically able peers.
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Disabled students are often stigmatized socially.
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Disproportionality can contribute to significant racial separation.
Discipline and segregated classes
Studies show that CLD students with disabilities are often educated in more segregated or restrictive environments than their white peers. For example, African-American, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, and ELL students with disabilities are more likely to be taught in separate classrooms or schools than students who are white or Asian and Pacific Islander. [3] In addition, CLD students have higher rates of office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions from school. Often, they receive more severe punishment than white students do for the same type of behavior. [4]
Contributing Policies and Procedures
A variety of policies, procedures, and practices exist at the national, state, district, school, or classroom levels that can lead to overrepresentation or under-representation of CLD populations in special education programs and under-representation in gifted and talented programs.
Who Really Is Disabled?
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African-American students who are viewed as having "challenging behaviors are referred more often for special education programs for emotional disabilities. [2]
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American Indiana/Alaska Native children receive special education labels and services at twice the rate of the general student population. [2]
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Asian and Pacific Islander students are less likely to be identified for special education but are overrepresented in gifted and talented programs. [2]
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English-language learners (ELL) are more likely to receive special education services in school districts with relatively small ELL populations than in districts with large populations. [3]
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In an effort to define the issue of disproportionality more clearly, Congress included provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that require states and school districts to collect and publicly report data on race and ethnicity in these circumstances:
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the various disability categories assigned to students;
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the restrictiveness of class and school placements of all students with disabilities;
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the incidence, duration, and type of disciplinary actions, including suspensions and expulsions experienced by all students.
Researchers have found that some specific state policies and procedures contribute to disproportionality. For example, differences in how states define special education categories, such as specific learning disabilities and emotional disturbance, and state special education eligibility criteria can influence the procedures used to identify students as disabled. [5] When school polices or procedures strain needed supports or restrict options for students, disproportionality can be intensified. For instance, funding policies that create large general education class sizes or constrict the availability of early intervention programs and support services impede the ability of teachers to give students the personalized attention they need. Also, rigid discipline policies, such as zero tolerance rules, may inadvertently promote lower tolerance for cultural differences. This, in turn, can increase discipline-related referrals of CLD students.
Call to action
All stakeholders -- classroom teachers, parents, and community leaders, school and district decision makers, and state and federal policymakers -- have an important role in decreasing disproportionality. Working together, we can make changes in state, local, and classroom policies, procedures, and practices so that every child, no matter his or her cultural or linguistic background, receives an appropriate education in a great public school.
References:
1 Gamm, S., Disproportionality in Special Education: Identifying Where and Why Overidentification of Minority Students Occurs, (Bethesda, Md.: LRP Publications, in press).
2 U.S. Department of Education, Twenty-fourth Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, (Washington, D.C.)
3 de Valenzuela, J.S., S.R. Copeland, C. Huaqing Qi, & M. Park,. Examining Educational Equity: Revisiting the Disproportionate Representation of Minority Students in Special Education. Exceptional Children 72, no. 4 (2006): 425-441; Keller-Allen, C., English Language Learners with Disabilities: Identification and Other State Policies and Issues, (Alexandria, Va.: Project Forum, National Association of State Directors of Special Education, 2006).
4 Cartledge, G., K.Y. Tam, S.A. Loe, A.H. Miranda, M.C. Lambert, C.D. Kea, & E. Simmons-Reed, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students with Behavioral Disorders, (Arlington, Va.: Council for Exceptional Children).
5 Harry, B., J.K. Klinger, K.M. Sturges, & R. Moore, "Of Rocks and Soft Places: Using Qualitative Methods to Investigate Disproportionality," in Racial inequity in special education, ed. D.J. Losen and G. Orfield, (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Education Press, 2002).
Hollins, E.R., Culture in School Learning, (New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., 1996).
Campbell-Whatley, G.D., & R. Gardner III, R., Strategies and Procedures for Designing Proactive Intervention with Culturally Diverse Population of Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders and Their Families/Caregivers, (Arlington, Va.: Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders, 2002).
Resources
Building the legacy: A training curriculum on IDEA, disproportionality and overrepresentation module . National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY). (2007). www.nichcy.org/training/contents.asp
C.A.R.E.: Strategies for closing the achievement gaps . National Education Association. Washington, DC. (2003).
The role of general education teachers in the Response-to-Intervention (RtI) process. National Education Association. Washington, DC (2006).
Meeting the challenge: Special education tools that work for all kids . Ralabate, P. Washington, DC: NEA Professional Library. (2002).
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Read more... [Disproportionality: Inappropriate Indentification of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children]
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A Purposeful Plan To Tackle Disproportionality
Rapides Parish, Louisiana, Reduces Referrals to Special Ed
When Rapides Parish in Louisiana was found to have serious disproportionality problems, they decided to tackle the issue in a proactive fashion. They established a steering committee that included representatives from regular education, special education, parent groups, and the community. The goals the school system set out to accomplish included:
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creating an awareness of the issue of disproportionality and culturally responsive practices in all areas;
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identifying target schools to implement early intervening services focusing on reading and math;
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appropriately identifying students with disabilities for special education through the use of Response-to-Intervention (RtI) and increased focus on culturally responsive assessment practices;
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implementing Positive Behavior Support (PBS) programs district-wide.
The Rapides Parish School District laid out a five-year action plan to address disproportionality, its correlates, and achievement and behavior gaps. The plan was presented at the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems' (NCCRESt) February 2007 conference, Leadership for Equity and Excellence: Transforming Education.
Early outcomes from Rapides Parish's disproportionality reduction efforts were encouraging; referrals for initial special education evaluations were way down and, more important, the percentage of Black students within the emotionally disturbed, mentally retarded, and specific learning disability categories was dropping.
Also of note was the increase in the percentage of Black students being identified as gifted and/or talented. Teachers, families, and students reported increased enthusiasm and support for the initiatives. For more information, contact: Rapides Parish School District and the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems.
Excerpted from Truth in Labeling: Disproportionality in Special Education. Source: Mary Beth Klotz, NASP.
More Case Studies Addressing Disproportionality:
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Read more... [Rapides Parish, LA, Tackles Disproportionality - Special Ed/IDEA]
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Seven Questions Every Parent Should Ask
about Disproportionality
Parents, caregivers, and community members, working with their local schools, should ensure that students who are culturally and linguistically diverse receive an excellent and appropriate education.
The following questions are designed to help parents and others address disproportionality -- the over- and underrepresentation of culturally and linguistically diverse children (CLD) in special education and gifted and/or talented programs.
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To what extent are quality early childhood services available in your community?
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How culturally appropriate is the curriculum? What guidelines are used to ensure that assessments are culturally responsive?
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What types of early intervening services, programs, and supports are available in your school or district? Are they available to all students who need them?
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To what extent are the school discipline policies responsive to cultural differences? To what extent are data on the incidence and durations of disciplinary actions (such as suspensions and expulsions) disaggregated by race or ethnicity?
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What professional development programs are available to assist teachers with developing culturally responsive teaching strategies and classroom management skills?
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How are parents, educators, and community leaders able to become productively engaged in your district's or school's plan to address disproportionality?
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To what extent are the resources and supports for addressing disproportionality sufficiently funded?
Related content:
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NEA's guide, Truth in Labeling, provides basic information about disproportionality -- what it is, what causes it, and what the implications are for students, schools, and the community. The guide offers recommendations on addressing disproportionality at the classroom, school, and community levels.
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Read more... [Seven Questions Every Parent Should Ask About Disproportionality - Special Ed/IDEA]
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Fairbanks School Board Committee Monitors Special Ed Placement
In Fairbanks, Alaska, the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District has an advisory Board Ethnic Committee established by the school board to monitor concerns such as achievement gaps and disproportionate placement of culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education. The committee reviews data and visits school principals to discuss policies and programs designed to address concerns. They also work to encourage parent and community involvement in the schools. The findings and recommendations of the Board Ethnic Committee are submitted to the Board of Education and the school administration.
Over the decade since the Board Ethnic Committee was formed, the number of serious, race-based complaints have been dramatically reduced and an atmosphere of openness in the school district has been observed.
For more information about the work of the committee, contact Elizabeth Schaffhauser, EEO Director, email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
, or phone: (907) 452-2000 x 466.
Excerpted from Truth in Labeling: Disproportionality in Special Education. Source: Mary Beth Klotz, NASP.
More Case Studies Addressing Disproportionality:
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Read more... [Fairbanks School Board Committee Monitors Special Ed Placement - Special Ed/IDEA]
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