Much attention is being focused on the issue of disproportionality of minority students in special education. Recent examinations of the issue have been completed by the National Research Council (NRC), and the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University (CRP). A racial/ethnic group is thought to be "over-represented" if the percentage of the group in special education is higher than its percentage in the resident population (US Census count), and "under-represented" if its percentage in special education is lower than its percentage of the resident population. Using that criteria, the data reported for the 6-21 year age group during the 1998-1999 school year indicates that black and American Indian students were over-represented in special education. Asian and white students were under-represented, and Hispanic students were represented at the same rate as in the general population.
While the Learning Disability (LD) category is both the largest and the fastest growing disability category within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), data indicate that black, white, and Hispanic students are placed in the LD category at roughly the same rate. Asians/ Pacific Islander students are represented at a much lower rate, and Ameri-can Indians/Alaskan Native children show a somewhat higher risk for placement. There is, however, strong evidence that minority students, especially blacks, are over-represented in two of the other "high incidence" disability categories: emotional disturbance and mental retardation.
States vary widely in the percentage of minority students assigned to special education categories. And, while there is considerable variability in the rate at which states use the LD designation, there is clear evidence that overrepresentation of blacks and Hispanic students exists in the LD category in some states.
The NRC report, Minority Students in Special and Gifted Education, found there are clear biological and social or contextual contributors to early development that differ by race/ethnicity and these factors contribute to a higher incidence of special needs among some racial/ethnic groups. In addition, the NRC report found that the "subjectivity of the referral process... and the conceptual and procedural shortcomings of the assessment process for learning disabilities and emotional disturbance give little confidence that student need has been appropriately identified."
Equally important is the finding by the CRP that once placed in special education, certain minority groups are at greater risk for receiving overly restrictive, inappropriate, or inadequate services. The NRC report correctly points out that "whether placement of minority students in special education in disproportionate numbers should be viewed as a problem depends in part on whether the trade-off is worth-while". Unfortunately, both reports indicate that minority students placed in special education stand to benefit less than their white counterparts, due in large part to a lack of effective instruction, shortages of qualified special educators, and limited parent participation and advocacy.
Policy Recommendations:
- Improved federal monitoring and enforcement: The Office of Special Education Programs needs to increase its enforcement of the IDEA with targeted efforts in specific states or districts that show records of persistent racial disproportionality. Such enforcement activities should include partial withholding of federal funds in order to achieve effective and sustainable corrective action. While targeted monitoring and enforcement should focus on reduction of inappropriate identification of minority students as disabled, general monitoring efforts also need to become more outcomes focused.
- Early identification and intervention for children at risk for reading problems: As recommended by the NRC report, the adoption of a universal screening and multitiered intervention strategy in general education to enable early identification and intervention with children at risk for reading problems is strongly recommended. Fortunately, a substantial body of research has provided the knowledge base to execute such screening with high reliability. Minority students, known to be at higher risk for reading failure, would benefit substantially from such early screenings and interventions. Such procedures, if implemented with integrity, could obviate the need for substantial numbers of minority students to be moved into special education.
- Expanded implementation of high-quality, research-based instructional strategies and interventions: There is a substantial yet underutilized body of research on interventions that work for students with learning disabilities. Students with learning disabilities are not receiving the effective strategies and interventions that can enable them to access the general education curriculum and experience improved outcomes, including better graduation rates. The federal government should undertake a comprehensive, long-term, well-funded initiative to provide information on "what works" in the instruction of students with learning disabilities to teachers and administrators. To complement such an undertaking, States should increase their focus on teacher preparation and professional development and restrict training to instructional approaches with a proven research base for providing measurable results.
- Improvements in teacher training: As recommended in the NRC report, States should require that state certification or licensure requirements include course work and practicum experience to prepare teachers to deliver culturally responsive instruction. Professional development for practicing teachers, administrators, and educational support personnel should also provide an understanding of cultural, gender, and other differences in how individual students learn.
- Increased efforts to provide information, training and access to available resources for low income and minority parents: Parent involvement is a fundamental precept of the IDEA. This precept is supported by studies showing that high levels of parent involvement are associated with better school outcomes for students with disabilities. Yet, as stated in the NRC report, "The literature on parent advocacy, however, shows that minority parents with low incomes tend to be perceived by school personnel as generally passive and uninvolved in the special education process." Understanding special education is a complex task even for well-educated, resourceful parents. The Parent Information Centers component of Part D is currently funded at $26.0 million - an amount woefully inadequate to provide training and information to the parents of more than 6 million children currently being served under the IDEA. While the '97 amendments to IDEA provided for the establishment of Community Parent Resource Centers that focus on the needs of underserved populations, much more funding and attention is needed to improve the availability of training and information to minority and poor communities.
The National Center for Learning Disabilities believes the disproportionate representation of minorities in special education is not the result of any single factor, such as poverty, lack of cultural sensitivity in teacher referrals, testing bias, or lack of parent involvement. And, given the complexity of each of these factors, satisfactory progress toward addressing the issue will only be achieved through a multitude of system-wide changes and improvements, of which some have been suggested here. Above all, NCLD believes achieving better outcomes for all students in special education should be a top priority. By improving outcomes and providing quality special education services, we can insure that all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, are being provided the best possible chance to achieve success in school and in life.
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NCLD provides national leadership in support of children and adults with learning disabilities (LD) by offering information, resources and referral services; developing and supporting innovative educational programs; promoting public awareness and advocating for more effective policies and legislation to help individuals with LD.
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