Disproportionate Representation of Minority Students in Special Education

The Disproportionate Representation of Minority Students in Special Education

For many years children with disabilities were denied the right to receive an education. Children with disabilities, whether it be behavioral or intellectual were once locked away in institutions never to be seen again. Special education has come a long way from what it once was, but still has a long way to go in order for the field of special education to equally and positively affect all the students that need these services.

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The unequal representation of minority students in special education was and continues to be a widespread, troubling, problem that is continually researched and debated on. It took parents, and caregivers to advocate in order for the children with disabilities to gain an opportunity for education as those students that do not have a disability. The 101 United States Congress enacted the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, to provide children with disabilities an education (Brannen 2018). Even though Congress passed a law to provide special education services to the children that need these services, there are still children that suffer due to the unequal and unfair representation of minority students all over the world. It is unfair, that the students have to deal with the unjust treatment; there should be an equal opportunity for all of the students in special education globally no matter what cultural background, social class, or ethnicity the student is. 

According to Livingston 2017, the primary recipients of special education services in Quebec and Ontario Canada were students of color and those of lower socioeconomic status (Livingston 2017). In fact, a large percentage of minority students from impoverished economic backgrounds had some sort of behavioral problem or intellectual disability (Livingston 2017). This seems to be an issue in countries all over the world. It is an unfortunate problem that exists and continues to exist in the field of special education.

Certain children seem to struggle to receive an equal opportunity in special education. Individuals that tend to fall short of receiving the proper education that will help the students reach their full potential are minority students, students that come from a lower socioeconomic class, students that lack the parental support and students that lack community support (Peters, Kranzler, Algina, Smith, & Daunic 2014). Many of those students have been incorrectly or unfairly labeled with a disability.  There is a significant gap between minority students and their white counterpart in terms of the quality education and the disciplinary action that the students receive (Peters, Kranzler, Algina, Smith, & Daunic 2014).  This paper will address the disproportionate representation of minority students in special education. It furthers examines the impact of the disproportionate representation on the children with emotional, behavioral, and cognitive disabilities. Perhaps the solution to the problem in special education is using the proper tools to identify the students that are in need of the services.

Adequate, nurturing, and appropriate special education is undoubtedly beneficial for children that have disabilities. Special education offers individualized plans to help each student manifest to there full potential. But for some, special education without specific disabilities, for minorities both in the United States and internationally are more often than not unjustifiable. Minority students are unequally represented in three specific categories. These categories consist of emotional behavioral disorders, intellectual disabilities, and specific learning disabilities (Peters, Kranzler, Algina, Smith, & Daunic 2014). Possible explanations for this persisting problem in special education is because of the failed general education system, referral identification process, test bias, and teachers that are not properly trained.

For some children, special education is stigmatizing and the notion of “special education” affects a student’s self-esteem and achievement in school and later into adulthood. When special education is implemented properly and effectively, it will then be beneficial for children with disabilities that range from mild to severe. Throughout the history of special education, there are many stories of success, where the children thrive with these services and become functional young adults.  But, there are also children that utilize these services in which these services become a disservice to the children who essentially do not need these special accommodations. A major issue when addressing special education is the student’s ethnicity, students that come from a lower socioeconomic class, students that lack the parental support and students that lack community support. These major issues have been a concern in special education since special education has been in existence. Laws, rules, regulations, and court cases have been implemented to resolve the problems the students are facing, but the desired results have not been established.

 The disproportionate representation of minorities in special education is nothing new to the field of education. The disproportionate representation in special education is now documented thoroughly, to show there is a biased in the field of special education. Minority groups that are most often referred to in this context are African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asians. The disproportionate representation comes from the percentage of these groups in special education differing from their percentage in the general school population (Morgan, Farkas, & Cook 2017).

This is a problem both nationally, and internationally. Normally, there is over-representation of specific minority groups in high occurrence in special education categories such as intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, and emotional disturbances (Morgan, Farkas, & Cook 2017).

The United States is often looked to as the “land of opportunity” and it is one of the greatest countries in the world, as there is a continued change culturally, economically, racially, and linguistically. Disproportionate representation has plagued the field of special education almost from its beginning as a discipline (Brannen 2018).

Remedies proposed to resolve some of the issues of special education include mainstreaming, least restrictive environment, and full inclusion in regular education (McKenna 2013). Since the field of special education is evolving at a steady pace, educators, parents, government officials, administrators, and parents are uncertain and confused on how to accommodate the needs of children with disabilities. Not one single education intervention or practice has produced convincing beneficial results over methodologies or paradigms for education these children (McKenna 2013).

Some of the effects of disproportionate representation consist of the stigmatizing assumptions on the children that can affect the children’s esteem or self-worth in a negative way. Some individuals believe that the students do not learn as much academically in special education as in general education (Morgan, Farkas, & Cook 2017). When communities, teachers, parents, and administration make assumptions such as those, the students are already counted out and look at as not being capable of learning. 

Yet, the students in special education have been found to socially adapt well in special education than in general education (Morgan, Farkas, & Cook 2017).

Disproportionate Representation and the History Behind it.

Disproportionality may be defined as the representation of a group in a category that exceeds expectations for that group or differs substantially from the representation of others in that category (Sullivan & Aydin 2013). Groups may also be underrepresented in a category or setting such as general education, gifted education, or visual impairment (Sullivan & Aydin 2013). The way disproportionality is represented may be a little difficult.  

The disproportionate representation of minority students in special education has its roots in a long history of educational segregation and discrimination (Feagans, Kainz, Amendum, Ginsberg, & Wood 2012). The disproportionate representation of minority students is a critical and continuing problem in the field of special education. Despite court challenges and federal regulations and research on the issue, the unequal representation of minorities still occurs. The early identification of the problem dates back to Dunn’s 1968 (Feagans, Kainz, Amendum, Ginsberg, & Wood 2012). Nonetheless, the problem itself has its roots far deeper; oppression and discrimination have characterized race relations throughout world history (Feagans, Kainz, Amendum, Ginsberg, & Wood 2012). 

The history of the world is rooted in racial and class inferiority and races other than European were intellectually inferior, and that the purity of the superior races should be preserved by forcefully segregating the “feeble-minded” (Morgan, Farkas, & Cook 2017). Since the beginning of special education, the leader documented the racially based disparities in the 1960s and 1970s (Morgan, Farkas, & Cook 2017). In 1968 Dunn saw first hand the disproportionate representation of ethnic and language minority students in self-contained special education classrooms raised noteworthy civil rights and educational concern (Morgan, Farkas, & Cook 2017).

 During 1964 Brown v. Board of Education the took legislative action to provide equal access to education, institutional structures such as the ability grouping special education classrooms, continued to keep minority students separated from their non-white peers  (Morgan, Farkas, & Cook 2017). Continued challenges occurred and were brought to court under the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, addressing the role of standardized testing and the reduced educational opportunity afforded by the racial isolation of minorities in special education programs (Morgan, Farkas, & Cook 2017).

Comparing the Disproportionate Representation of other Countries in

Special Education.

In the countries that have developed a special education component, whether in a secluded setting or in the mainstream, racial, socioeconomic status, and minorities continue to be disproportionately represented globally (Tomlinson 2016). The explanations that centered around the students being placed in special education are the lack of abilities to properly learn and behave, the families background, and the communities the students live in (Tomlinson 2016). The policy makers, politicians, schools, parents, and teachers ignore or ignorant of the appropriate and social context in which these students learn best in (Tomlinson 2016).

According to Livingston across Canada, black families are more likely than other families to be low income, even when the family structure is the same (Livingston 2017). No matter what country a child is in, race, minority status, and social class will continue to play a significant role in the segregation of particular students in school (Livingston 2017).  The unequal number of students from racial minority ethnic origins in the expanding categories of special education, regarded as lower achiever, or a candidate for alternate education, has for over 50 years been the subject of both large and small-scale research in developed countries, notably in the USA, Canada, Australia, and European countries (Tomlinson 2016). Studies have shown in the US, that African American and American Indian students were over-represented in specific categories such as learning disabilities, mild mental retardation, and emotional disturbances (Tomlinson 2016). In England, the Department of Education and Science took steps toward collecting information on the number of migrant students in special education, to further investigate and access, the placement and overrepresentation of minority students (Tomlinson 2016). Using the data, detailed analysis of the disproportionate placement in categories of special education needs, taking account of the student’s ethnicity, social class, gender, and age (Tomlinson 2016). The gaps in the mainstream between white and minority groups continued to be a major concern (Tomlinson 2016).

Globally there is a continuing issue concerning the constant debate about the disproportionate representation of minority students in special education. The debates over the representation of minority students are stigmatized categories of special education all over the world are very similar to one another (Tomlinson 2016).  In the USA, its disproportionate representation is connected to race (Tomlinson 2016). In other countries, now that more data is available, the explanations are still modestly claiming that some of the issues are too sensitive to be discussed (Tomlinson 2016).

The Impact of Disproportionate Representation in Special Education

 A huge disadvantage is students are being provided an education that is not appropriate for the child. Not only do the children suffer, but their self-esteem is tarnished, and it will have a negative effect on the child for the rest of his or her life.

Possible Solutions for Disproportionality

 When the student is identified accurately or inaccurately, needing special education services, the students are normally removed from the general education classroom setting. Taking the student from the classroom should not be the first thing that happens for the student (Brannen 2018). Brannen 2009 addressed a multitude of factors related to system improvements with the likelihood of reducing the disproportionate representation of minority students in special education. When the minority students are identified appropriately, the access to early education will be used as a tool in which the student’s academic achievements may be maximized to the students full potential (Brannen 2018).

 The placement of the students is not the sole responsibility of the school; a portion of the responsibility belongs to the parents, valuable resources that will aid in preventing referrals to special education and improve the student’s academic outcomes is a collective responsibility of both the school and the parents (Brannen 2018).  

 There is an importance of a collaborative effort among both teachers and parents. In order for the child to have an appropriate educational placement, involved parents play a critical role in ensuring the child’s needs are being met. Though, it is equally important to decide if the schools are allowing an environment in which the parents are welcomed to openly communicate problems related to their child’s specific educational accommodations. With an environment such as parents being involved with their children’s education, teachers must be open to constructive criticism. If the teacher is not culturally competent, the parent may criticize the teacher on the lack of knowledge in that area, but the teacher must be open and understanding. The children’s quality of education is essential in ensuring these students have an educational experience that will allow the students to thrive, thereby minimizing the cultural mismatch that is characterized by many schools today, and further increasing these students chance at academic success (Zhang Katsiyannis, Ju, & Roberts 2014).

 According to Herzik 2015, schools in which teachers, administrators, family, and the community maintain high expectations for student learning and provide positive reinforcement for the student’s achievement and participation typically do not have an issue of disproportionate representation (Herzik 2015). Herzik also examined data over 13,000 children to determine if stigma influenced teachers’ and parents’ educational expectations of their children with disabilities (Herzik 2015). Unfortunately, the data showed the labeling theory to be true. The parents’ and teachers’ were more likely to hold lower educational expectations for the children labeled with a disability.

 Another possible solution to the disproportionate representation in special education could be the Response to Intervention (RTI). RTI is a process that includes the provision of systematic, research-based instruction and interventions for slow learners (Herzik 2015). Using this multi-tiered process, interventions will be individualized with each student’s needs, followed by monitoring of the student’s progress in order to identify information related to the student’s academic level and the rate of the students improvement (Herzik 2015).

 I believe the best way to end the disproportionate representation in special education is resisting the established social norms and deviations set by the dominant society. Although, dominant society must be aware of their views, and how their power can potentially harm students that need the special education services. Since people are aware of the disproportionate representation of minorities across the world, How much longer are we going to allow this problem to affect minority children, Children from lower socio-economic class and children that do not have a strong family support. Children are not to blame for being poor, the color of their skin, or the lack of support.

So, why should the children have to suffer from something that is out of their control?

There is a common denominator in regards to the disproportionate representation in special education. It seems as though the big factors are the socioeconomic class the student is in, the ethnicity, and the support the student has will determine whether or not the child will get an education that he or she deserves. It is unfortunate that poor minorities get the short end of the stick when it comes to attaining a good education. But there is still hope that one day these children will have a chance at an education that will prepare them for a thriving adulthood. The field of special education has come a long way from institutionalizing the children that needed special accommodations. We are on the right path, but still, has some ways to go before everyone is accommodated in a way that would best fit his or her learning abilities. 

References

Brannen, F. (2018). The Misplacement of Minority Students in Special Education and its Negative Consequences. Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol. 23(9), 47-52. 

Herzik, L. (2015). A Better IDEA: Implementing a Nationwide Definition for Significant Disproportionality to Combat Overrepresentation of Minority Students in Special Education. San Diego Law Review, Vol. 52, 951-966.

Livingston, A., Weinfield, M. (2017). Black Students and High School Completion in Quebec and Ontario: A Multivariate Analysis. Canadian Sociological Association.

McKenna, J. (2013). The Disproportionate Representation of African Americans in Programs for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Preventing School Failure, 57(4), 206-211. DOI: 10.1080/1045988X.2012.687792.                                     

Morgan, P., Farkas, G., & Cook, M. (2017).  Are Black Children Disproportionately Overrepresented in Special Education? A Best-Evidence Synthesis. Exceptional Children, Vol. 83(2), 181-198. DOI: 10.1177/0014402916664042 ec.sagepub.com.

Peters, C., Kranzler, J., Algina, J., Smith, S., & Daunic, A. (2014). Understanding Disproportionate Representation in Special Education by Examining Group Differences in Behavior Ratings. Psychology in the Schools, Vol. 51(5). DOI: 10.1002/pits.21761.  

Sullivan, A., Aydin, B. (2013). Disproportionality in Special Education: Effects of Individual and School Variables on Disability Risk. Exceptional Children, Vol. 70(4), 475-494.

Tomlinson, S. (2016). Special education and minority ethnic young people in England: continuing issues. Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, Vol. 37, NO. 4, 513-528.

Vernon-Feagans, L., Kainz. K., Amendum, S., Ginsberg, M., & Wood, T. (2012). Targeted Reading Intervention: A Coaching Model to Help Classroom Teachers with Struggling Readers. Learning Disabilities Quarterly, Vol. 35(2), 102-144. DOI: 10.1177/0731948711434048.                                                                                              

Zhang, D., Katsiyannis, A., Ju, S., & Roberts, E. (2014) Minority Representation in Special Education: 5-Year Trends. Child and Family Studies, Vol. 23, 118-127. DOI 10.1007/s10826-012-9698-6.