1. Significant Disproportionality

2. Significant Disproportionality Resources01
Significant Disproportionality:
Why We Measure it and What it Means 02
Significant Disproportionality
Resources
CONTENTS

3. Why are we addressing significant disproportionality?
“…we need to address racial and ethnic disparities in special education. This important step forward is about ensuring the right services get to the right students in the right way.”
— Former US Secretary of Education John B. King Jr.
Source:
1.7X
1.9X
African American students with disabilities in MA are 1.7 times as likely to receive a disciplinary removal than all other students with disabilities
Hispanic students in MA are 1.94 times as likely to be identified as a student with an Intellectual Disability than students in other racial/ethnic groups

4. Calculations
Calculations 01

5. IDEA Requirement
Each state must examine data to determine if significant disproportionality based on race and ethnicity is occurring in the State and in school districts with respect to–
1) the identification of children as children with disabilities, including in specific disability categories;
2) the placement in particular educational settings;
3) the incidence, duration, and type of disciplinary removals from placement, including suspensions and expulsions.
34 CFR § (a)(1)-(3)

6. DESE must calculate disproportionality with respect to…
Identification
The identification of children ages 3 through 21, as children with :
A disability
An intellectual disability
A specific learning disability
Emotional disturbance
Speech or language impairments
Other health impairments
Autism
Placement
Placements of children with disabilities ages 6 through 21:
Inside a regular class less than 40% of the day
Inside separate schools and residential facilities
Discipline
Discipline incidents, including, for children with disabilities ages 3 through 21:
10. Out-of-school suspensions and expulsions of 10 days or fewer
11. Out-of-school suspensions and expulsions of more than 10 days
12. In-school suspensions of 10 days or fewer
13. In-school suspensions of more than 10 days
14 . Disciplinary removals in total

7. How will DESE calculate disproportionality?
For each of the 7 racial/ethnic groups in each of these 14 categories, DESE will calculate a risk ratio (or alternate risk ratio), and flag those districts whose risk ratio or alternate risk ratio is 4.0 or greater for each of the past 3 years.
Racial and ethnic groups listed in the regulation –
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White; and
Two or more races
Risk – the likelihood that a student will experience a particular outcome (here, that a student will be identified, placed in a specific setting, or disciplinarily removed).
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

8. Key Terms
Risk ratio
Calculation performed by dividing the risk of a particular outcome for children in one racial or ethnic group within an LEA by the risk for children in all other racial and ethnic groups within the LEA.
In SY19-20, a district will be flagged if its risk ratio for a particular racial/ethnic group in a particular category is 4.0 or greater for each of the previous 3 years.

9. Risk Ratio Example #1 - Identification
Example: The likelihood that an African American child will be identified as a child with a disability, compared to children in all other racial and ethnic groups.
Compare the risk for African American children to the risk for non-African American children
80 African American children identified
÷ ÷
400 total African American children in LEA Risk Ratio
__________________________________________________ = _____________ = ________ =
200 non-African American children identified
2,000 total non-African American children in LEA ,000
African American children in the LEA are 2.0 times as likely to be identified as a child with a disability, compared to children in all other racial and ethnic groups.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

10. Risk Ratio Example #2 - Placement
Example: The likelihood that a Hispanic/Latino child’s placement will be in a general education classroom less than 40% of the day, compared to that likelihood for a child in all other racial and ethnic groups. Compare the risk for Hispanic/Latino children to the risk for non-Hispanic/Latino children
105 Hispanic/Latino children placed in a general education classroom than 40% of the day
105 ÷
250 Total Hispanic/Latino children with IEPs in the LEA =
250
0.42
Risk Ratio
4.2
200 Non-Hispanic/Latino children placed in a general education classroom than 40% of the day
200
0.1
2,000 Total Non-Hispanic/Latino children with IEPs in the LEA
2,000
Hispanic/Latino children in the LEA are 4.2 times as likely to be placed in a general education classroom less than 40% of the day, compared to children in all other racial and ethnic groups.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

11. What if my district is very small?
We will only calculate a risk ratio for groups that meet the minimum cell size (6) and n-size (20).
Cell size:
Number of children in the racial/ethnic group(s) experiencing a particular outcome.
Numerator in the risk calculation.
N-size:
Number of children in the racial/ethnic group(s) enrolled in a district with respect to identification, and the number of children with disabilities enrolled in an LEA with respect to placement and discipline.
Denominator in the risk calculation.
Explain why we cannot calculate if cell and n-sizes are not met

12. Risk Ratio Example #1 - Identification
Example: The likelihood that an African American child will be identified as a child with a disability, compared to children in all other racial and ethnic groups.
Compare the risk for African American children to the risk for non-African American children
80 African American children identified
÷ ÷
400 total African American children in LEA Risk Ratio
__________________________________________________ = _____________ = ________ =
200 non-African American children identified
2,000 total non-African American children in LEA ,000
African American children in the LEA are 2.0 times as likely to be identified as a child with a disability, compared to children in all other racial and ethnic groups.
Cell size
N-size
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

13. What if the comparison group is too small?
If the groups meet the minimum cell and n-size, but there are not enough students in all other racial/ethnic groups in the LEA, we use an alternate risk ratio.
A calculation performed by dividing the risk of a particular outcome for children in one racial or ethnic group within an LEA by the risk of that outcome for children in all other racial or ethnic groups in the State.

14. Risk Ratio Example #1 - Identification
Example: The likelihood that an African American child will be identified as a child with a disability, compared to children in all other racial and ethnic groups.
Compare the risk for African American children to the risk for non-African American children
80 African American children identified ÷
400 total African American children in LEA
__________________________________________________
2 non-African American children identified
18 total non-African American children in LEA
In this case, we cannot use a risk ratio (because the comparison group has a cell size of less than 6 and an n-size of less than 20), so we instead use an ALTERNATE RISK RATIO.
Comparison Group Cell size
Comparison group N-size
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

15. Alternate Risk Ratio
Example: The likelihood that a Hispanic/Latino child with an IEP will experience a disciplinary removal, compared to children in all other racial and ethnic groups.
Compare the risk for Hispanic/Latino children with IEPs to the risk for non-Hispanic Latino children with IEPs
Hispanic/Latino students with IEPs in the LEA are 7.0 times as likely to be disciplined, compared to students with IEPs in all other racial and ethnic groups across the state.
220 Hispanic/Latino students with IEPS disciplined ÷
370 total Hispanic/Latino student with IEPs in the LEA
_____________________________________________________________________
11,000 non-Hispanic/Latino students with IEPs disciplined across the state
130,000 non-Hispanic/Latino students with IEPs across the state
220 ÷
370
______
11,000
130,000
0.595
______
0.085
Alternate Risk Ratio
7.0 = = =
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

16. Are there any other exceptions?
A state is not required to make an identification of significant disproportionality if the district is making reasonable progress.
Reasonable progress: lowering the risk ratio or alternate risk ratio for the group and category in each of the two prior consecutive years
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Reasonable Progress
District 1
5.6
5.3
5.2
Meets Reasonable Progress
District 2
4.9
4.8
4.6
District 3
4.7
4.3
Does Not Meet Reasonable Progress 1.

17. Identification Plans
MA DESE plans to notify and provide data to all LEAs during Summer
Current MA DESE plan for notification and provision of data, but possible changes if we receive different guidance from OSEP and USED
-We plan to contact all LEAs during the summer of
-This is current MA DESE plan for notification and provision of data, but possible changes if we receive different guidance from OSEP and USED

18. Significant Disproportionality Resources02

19. Planned Webinar
Significant Disproportionality Fiscal Responsibilities Webinar
June 12, 2019
1:00 PM and 3:00PM

20. Significant Disproportionality Resources
IDEA Data Center (IDC): Equity Requirements
requirements/files/resources/59088ede150ba0dd678b4573/ f150ba01b1a8b456b/idc-equity- comparison/2017/05/09/idc-equity-comparison.pdf
IDEA Significant Disproportionality: Essential Questions and Answers
CIFER Center for IDEA Fiscal Reporting (CIFER): Comprehensive Coordinate Early Intervening Services
IDC Success Gaps Toolkit

21. IDEA Data Center (IDC): Equity Requirements

22. IDEA Significant Disproportionality: Essential Questions and Answers

23. Center for IDEA Fiscal Reporting (CIFR): Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services

24. IDC Success Gaps Toolkit

25. What are you left wondering?
Questions
What are you left wondering?
What questions do you have about Significant Disproportionality calculations?