DISPROPORTIONALITY What is it? And Why Do We Care? Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, Ph. D. University of Colorado- Denver

Purpose To provide an opportunity for practitioners to engage in structured conversations about disproportionality.

Outcomes Increase awareness of issues around disproportionality Understand local and context specific issues Look at technical and conceptual issues Develop potential responses

Significant Issues- What do we know? In 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) require that all states collect and examine data on disproportionality. Each State… shall provide for the collection and examination of data to determine if significant disproportionality based on race is occurring in the State or in the schools operated by the Secretary of the Interior with respect to – 1) the identification of children as children with disabilities, including the identification of children as children with disabilities in accordance with a particular impairment…; and 2) the placement in particular educational settings of these children [34 CFR (a)].

IDEA The regulations implementing IDEA further specify that in the case of significant disproportionality, the states must develop a plan for addressing the problem: In the case of a determination of significant disproportionality with respect to the identification of children as children with disabilities, or the placement in particular educational settings of these children…the Secretary of the Interior shall provide for the review and, if appropriate, revision of the policies, procedures and practices used in the identification or placement to ensure that the policies, procedures and practices comply with the requirements of Part B of the Act. [34 CFR (b)].

What Do We Know? Students of color represent the youngest and fastest growing segment of the population. ( Hodgkinson, 1991/1994; Hopkins, 1997)

What Do We Know? African-Americans, and in certain circumstances, Latino and American- Indian students are represented in special education in numbers greater than their percentages in general school population.

Recent Data Shows Almost 75 percent of diagnoses of mild retardation are linked to various socioeconomic- related environmental contingencies.

Recent Data Shows Although African-Americans represent 16 percent of elementary and secondary enrollments, they constitute 21 percent of total enrollments in special education programs. Poor African American children are 1.8 times more likely to be identified by their teacher as having mental retardation than their White counterparts. ( U.S. Department of Education, 1998)

Census Data Based on the 2000 Census data, the United States has approximately 275,000,000 people. Nearly 1 of every 3 of whom will be African- American, Hispanic, Asian- American and American Indian.

Census Data Students of color are projected to account for 24% of the total school age population by percent of teachers will be white females. ( NCES statistics)

Census Data-Cont’d Half of all school children will be non-Anglo by 2025 and half of all Americans will be non-Anglo by 2050.

Census Data-Cont’d Racial lines are becoming more blurred. At least 40% of all Americans have had some racial mixing in the last three generations. Secondary Schools in the New Millennium, Hodgkinson, 2000

More Data In the school year, African-American students were 2.9 times more likely than white students to be labeled mentally retarded. ( Chambers, Parrish, & Harr, 2002)

More Data 1.8 times as likely to be labeled emotionally disturbed –3 times as likely to be labeled as having a learning disability –Less likely to be returned to general education once they entered special education.

Recent Data The population of Native American children who receive special education services is one and a half times greater at 16.8 percent versus 11 percent for the general population.

Recent Data African-Americans, especially males who engage in certain behaviors that represent artifacts of their culture have been found to be over-referred for special education placement.

Recent Data Although Latino students are often not over-represented in state and national data, they are likely to be over- represented in special education when their proportion of a district’s diverse student body increases.

Recent Data Children from culturally diverse backgrounds needing special education support often receive low quality services.

Recent Data Poverty and other socioeconomic factors affect the incidence of disability among all ethnic groups and across disabilities. The larger the educational program, the larger the disproportion of minority students.

Recent Data Asian Pacific students are generally underrepresented in disability categories and over represented in gifted and talented programs.

Recent Data White students are consistently overrepresented in gifted and talented programs and specific learning disability categories.

What is Disproportionality? Disproportionate representation is defined as “the extent to which membership in a given group affects the probability of being placed in a specific special education disability category. ( Oswald, et. al )

What is Disproportionality? The disproportionate placement of students of a given ethnic group in special education programs, means that the percentage of students from that group in such programs is disproportionately greater than their percentage in the school population as a whole.

Not Just Special Education! Simply defined, disproportionate representation encompasses both “overrepresentation” in high incidence disabilities and “under representation” in programs for gifted and talented. **

Does It Exist? The disproportionate representation of ethnically and linguistically diverse students in special education programs has been a concern for over three decades. ( Dunn, 1968; Johnson, 1969; Donovan and Cross, 2002)

Does It Exist? Currently, African-Americans tend to be significantly over- represented in two special education categories of mild mental disabilities and emotional/ behavioral disabilities. ( Oswald, Continuho, Best and Singh, 1999)

Composition Index The “composition index” compares the proportion of students from a group (e.g., racial or linguistic) within a disability category or special education program with the proportion of the same group of students in the general school population (Donovan & Cross, 2002). The “risk index” is calculated by dividing the number of students from the target group (e.g., African American) placed in a disability category or program (e.g., MR) by the total number of students in that group enrolled in the school population. Risk Ratio The odds of being identified if an individual is in a particular ethnic group. Risk Index

Three Major Factors That Contribute to the Disparity 1.Socio-demographic issues associated with poverty.

Three Major Factors That Contribute to the Disparity 2. Unequal educational opportunities for students of color and disadvantaged students. 3. The special education referral and placement process itself.

Which Groups are Impacted? To Be Determined Native Americans Hispanic Americans African- Americans Asian Americans

So What? Why is it a problem? Is it a problem? –Among the conceptual factors that can influence disproportionate representation are issues of race and its definition and significance. ( Hilliard, 2001)

So What? –Serious Implications result from overrepresentation Students may be denied access to the general education curriculum.

Students may receive services that do not meet their needs. Students may be misclassified or inappropriately labeled.

Addressing Disproportionality Twenty five states reported regular review of LEA data and identification LEA’s with racial/ethnic disproportionality. Eighteen states noted that disproportionality at the LEA level is regularly addressed as part of the state’s monitoring process.

Addressing Disproportionality Seventeen states described specific procedures designed to address disproportionality. Eleven states offer professional development designed to improve cultural sensitivity.

Addressing Disproportionality Ten states provide technical assistance. Seven states provide referral guidelines to help reduce bias in referral and placement. Six states described plans to establish baseline data on disproportionality that would later be used to identify LEAs with potential problems.

Addressing Disproportionality Five states have convened advisory boards or task forced to examine disproportionality. NASDSE,2003

What do we Understand about overrepresentation?- The Numbers Game Discussions about overrepresentation and its symptoms most often focus on the gathering and analysis of numbers and proportions of students by ethnicity a certain disabling condition compared to their proportions in the general population.

Some roots of disproportionality Race/Ethnicity/Language Systemic School Factors related to teacher effectiveness, biased perceptions about students Inadequate and inappropriate referral, assessment and evaluation procedures Biased tests

Roots Poverty Discrimination or cultural bias in referral & assessment. School- based factors Unique factors related directly to ethnicity

Where do we look for causes of the problem? General education Defacto Segregation Race/Ethnicity/Language Prereferral intervention

Where do we look for causes of the problem? Assessment Determination of eligibility Placement decisions Special education classes

Decision makers National –Professional Associations Members –Legislators

Decision makers State –Standards and curriculum –Legislators –Child Advocates –Schools of Education –YOU!

Decision makers Local –Administrators and Teachers –School District Professional Development Efforts –Families and Community

Baby Steps/Giant Steps “Eliminating disproportionality is an adult issue.” Joseph Olchefske, Superintendent of Seattle Schools. “We must change the way we think about ability, competence and success and encourage schools to redefine support so that the need to sort children is reduced.” (Testimony before the President’s Commission, 2002)

Framework for Action Areas that require specific attention:  The creation of a diverse multidisciplinary planning team.  The provision of high quality prereferral and ancillary services.

 The identification of the factors that contribute to students’ school related difficulties.  The use of classroom- based assessment alternatives to standardized testing.

The use of a diversified curriculum. The use of culturally responsive teaching strategies. The use of culturally appropriate behavior management strategies.

The creation of a respectful classroom environment that acknowledges diversity. The fostering of family participation and communication. Enlisting the support of community members and groups.

Final Activity- Small Groups 1.What does disproportionality look like in your state? school district? school? 2.What are the implications for communities, families, students? 3.How do contributing factors may out for families? 4.What are the greatest barriers that you observe that schools, families face as their students go through the system? 5.If we were to focus on one thing to fix, what would it be?