Minority representation in special ed, continued

In our last blog post, we addressed issues surrounding the over-representation of minorities in special education classrooms. In our continuation of this discussion, we will consider some of the root causes for this over-representation, discuss possible preventative measures, and analyze some statistics behind referral of students into special education classrooms. By providing a basic understanding of factors that contribute to disabilities, as well as the ways in which schools can proactively eliminate the need for special ed services for some students, we can shed some light on the demographic data that exists across disability categories.

Root causes

Research into the causes for various disabilities points to four major factors: biological factors, ecological factors, educational opportunities, and poverty. Let’s look at them one by one:

Biological factors

Many disabilities can be linked to biological factors. Chromosomal abnormalities that arise during the development of an egg or sperm cell can result in Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and other physical disabilities. Heredity can play a role in other disabilities, such as learning disabilities.

Ecological factors

Exposure to hazardous waste or other environmental toxins pose another threat that can result in the presentation of some disabilities. For example, some intellectual and learning disabilities have been linked to exposure to lead found in pipes and paint.

Educational opportunities

Disparity between students can sometimes be explained by a difference in educational opportunities. Research conducted by Russell Skiba in 2008 linked poor educational achievement of minorities to inadequate classroom instruction, lack of access to highly qualified teachers, and fewer resources.

Poverty

Not surprisingly, the one factor that links all three of the aforementioned factors together is poverty. Educational demographer Harold Hodgkinson cites poverty as the most handicapping condition affecting America’s youth, regardless of race or ethnicity. In 2002, the US Department of Education found that twice as many African American and Hispanic children as white children came from families living below the poverty line. Although there is no real way to link poverty to academic difficulties in children, researchers such as Harry and Klingner and Russell Skiba found that teachers’ perceptions of children who live in poverty is strongly related to lower academic expectations.

Prevention

Research points to a variety of factors that are effective at preventing the prevalence of disabilities in children. These include greater access to health care, improved home environments, and access to quality pre-school programs.

The benefits of pre-school experiences

The last of these factors, a focus on early intervention, is a critical consideration, and the one over which educators have the most control. Many students with disabilities have had limited access to quality educational experiences before first grade, and many have not participated in any kind of school experience before entering kindergarten. Without these pre-school experiences, students enter school with inadequate readiness skills, background experiences, and social experiences, all of which can lead to academic and behavioral difficulties. The National Reading Panel has also stressed the importance of pre-school experiences on children’s reading development. This lack of experience often leads to a higher prevalence of learning difficulties, especially reading disabilities such as dyslexia.

The role of expectations

Students who experience learning and behavior problems often have problems with academic engagement, which results in increases in school dropout. African American and Hispanic students who struggle in school are twice as more likely to drop out of school than white students. The National Center of Educational Statistics released a report in 2007 that revealed some valuable insights into why these students drop out of school. First, schools attended by low-income minorities are often inadequate and provide a less engaging environment in which to learn. Secondly, teachers’ expectations of these students are often lower than for their peers. When students sense this disparity, they often disconnect themselves from the schooling experience. To counter these effects, schools should work to provide higher expectations of academic achievement, provide more intensive instruction, and make instruction more engaging and culturally relevant for them.

A look at the statistics

Now that we have looked at some of the contributing factors leading to the prevalence of certain disability categories, it may be helpful to understand some of the relevant statistics. The National Center for Educational Statistics reports that of the 48.6 million students enrolled in public schools during 2005, a little more than half are white, about 20% are Hispanic or Latino, and 17% are African American.

These types of statistical data are available for North Carolina as well. Each year, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) analyzes the risk level of certain races for over-representation based on disability category. Using this information, NCDPI creates a document called the Disporportionality Report. The report examines the representation of a particular racial/ethnic group of children receiving special education services based on over- or under-representation in the general school population. It also examines the status of a particular racial/ethnic group of children being identified in specific disability categories.

According to NCDPI, students in a particular group who are represented at a higher percentage than other students in racial/ethnic groups when compared to their representation in the general school population are of major concern. Based on North Carolina’s criteria for significant over-representation, there are two disability categories where students of a particular racial/ethnic group are of major concern. Those disability categories are Educable Mental Disabilities (EMD) and Behavioral-Emotional Disabilities (BED).

The table provided below presents data calculated for the 2005-2006 school year for North Carolina Public Schools. Based on the data collected from school districts across North Carolina, we have selected some surrounding school districts that represent urban, suburban, and rural school settings. The number of students receiving special education services across all disability categories is presented in this table. As you can see, in primarily urban settings, the number of African American students receiving special education services far outnumbers the number of white and Hispanic students receiving those services. However, in primarily rural settings, white students outnumber both African American and Hispanic students in receiving special education services. Could it be that percentages of students receiving special education services is directly related to demographic representation within particular communities?

Conclusion

The representation of minorities in special education populations is an issue that sparks a great deal of debate in educational communities. Many researchers argue that minorities are over-represented in special education while many other researchers argue the opposite. The answer to this issue is still unclear, even in light of the available statistics. While the data for some local counties suggests an over-representation of minorities in special ed, the data for other counties refutes the idea.

This argument is also made more complex when the percentages of different types of disabilities are evaluated. Different types of disabilities produce different percentages that can either support or refute the claim of minority over-representation. It is clear that additional analysis is needed in order to find growing trends in referral rates in the special education population. As a result, it is important for educators and practitioners to consider the wide array of available information when forming an opinion on this issue.