OVER-IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENTS FOR SERVICES: Special education Jennifer Castro AND Leah Segar Virginia Commonwealth university

Outline I. Scenarios II. Overview of Eligibility Process and Interventions III. Gaps in Eligibility   IV. Placement V. Presentation of research articles, scenarios and videos

I. SCENARIOS

Consider Student A and Student B Who is more likely to be referred for special education services by the general educator? Avoids work Tends to be off task/looks busy Does not complete classwork/no homework returned Comes for extra help, information not retained Teacher sees visual processing Receives small group instruction Acts out, Belligerent/No impulse control Off task mainly/not teacher redirected Defiant not referred through BIP process

terminology Special Education Specific Learning Disability Eligible Identified IEP- Individualized Education Program Least Restrictive Environments (Self Contained vs. General/Inclusion Classrooms) Other Health Impairment General versus Special Educator RTI- Response to Intervention

Consider the following quote This quote does not seem to reflect that there is a discrepancy in the identification of students for services when comparing the total number of students to the general population, but a break down of the types of students referred and trends in referral process reveal opportunities for improvement. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cgg.asp

Most common ways students are marginalized in special education RACE GENDER SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE OF TEACHERS

Demographics of students enrolled in public school setting Pay special attention to the Black, Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native students. Currently, students who identify as White make up 51 percent of the public school setting (elementary and secondary), but- flip slide

Demographics of students identified, by race Although one could compare the percentage of white students identified to that of Indian and Black children, when looking at the overall percentage of students representing all American classrooms, these subcategories are disproportionately high.

Composite of students by disability Explain that the rationale can still be speculative, but growing body of research helps to support this frame of mind. Explain what SLD classification means. Explain the range of students identified under OHI- focus on these disabilities as “gray areas” for the overidentification of students for services.

A Discussion on gender in Special education QUICK FACTS US Department of Education 2006 report http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/EW-TruthInLabeling.pdf • Nearly 75 percent of students with specific learning disabilities are male. • Seventy-six percent of students receiving special education services under the category of emotionally disturbed are male. • More than 50 percent of students receiving speech/language therapy services are male.

II. ELIGIBILITY AND PROCESS

Identification issues a matter of subjectivity VIDEO Interview by University of Illinois at Chicago Assistant Professor, Federico Waitoller, Ph.D. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgBJExyO6Ac

III. GAPS IN ELIGIBILITY

Behavior and discipline 30 Years of data collected by researchers for the US Department of Education concluded that: • Minority students have higher rates of office referrals, suspensions and expulsions from school (Cartledge, et al., 2002). • Low income Black males receiving special education services have the highest suspension rates of any subgroup (Skiba, et al., 2003). • Black males are more likely to receive more severe punishment than White students do for the same type of behavior (Cartledge, et al., 2002). Students with disabilities who were from Black, Hispanic and American Indian backgrounds were 67 percent more likely to be removed from school by a hearing officer on the grounds that they were dangerous during the 1999-2000 school year than their White peers (Osher, Woodruff , & Sims, 2002). http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/EW-TruthInLabeling.pdf

Need for differentiated instruction prior to referral (SPED) VIDEO The importance of looking at students’ learning styles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX342J5FkxM

Lowering referral (SPED) rates through culturally responsive teaching http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/EW-TruthInLabeling.pdf

IV. PLACEMENT

Least restrictive environment (based on disabilities) Options for placement Least restrictive environment (based on disabilities) IEP states that this can be a: General education classroom in a Collaborative/Inclusive Setting Pull out services in a General Education classroom Self-Contained classrooms Varies based on the individual, disability, subject matter, and complexity/manifestation of disability

Issues with placement What is the process of placement? A 2002 study by researchers Fierros and Conroy for the US Department of Education found: • Fifty-five percent of White students with disabilities spend 80 percent of their school day in general education classrooms. • Only one-third of Black students with disabilities spend 80 percent of their day in general education classrooms. One must ask what the process of placement is for students who are identified for special education services. Because the reauthorization of IDEA calls for an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) that is reinforced with a team of teachers, counselors, administrators, experts to be used on an “individualized” basis, not much justification is needed for the placement of certain students in educational settings versus others. http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/EW-TruthInLabeling.pdf