Given the burgeoning number of diverse students in our nation’s schools, coupled with the potentially negative outcomes and wasted resources associated with the misidentification of students for special education and excessive use of exclusionary discipline for specific subgroups of students, it is imperative that educational professionals understand and address the implications arising from disproportionality for children both with and without disabilities. This text contributes unique perspectives and up-to-date information, including advances and research that have emerged since the last of the extant books was published. Presented in three sections, the first considers disproportionality in special education identification, with chapters examining overrepresentation by ethnicity, gender, and language. The second section addresses disproportionality in discipline, specifically focusing on inequalities in school disciplinary actions and juvenile justice decisions based on ethnicity and gender. The final section provides readers with approaches for addressing disproportionality and creating more equitable learning environments now and in the future. The text encourages bidirectional and evolving relationships between the topics examined in each chapter with the historical framework presented. Because of the comprehensive nature of the topics covered in the book, it is an ideal “one-stop” reference for readers aiming to acquire a broad understanding of the key issues related to the topic. The book will appeal to a range of potential readers, including university students and practitioners in the fields of education, psychology, sociology, gender studies, ethnic studies, and criminal justice as well as lay-readers interested in issues of equality and/or education.

Commissioned by The Civil Rights Project at Harvard, this text examines racial inequity in special education, with an emphasis on the experiences of African American children. Eleven contributions from educators and researchers discuss issues such as the overrepresentation of minority children in special education, racial disparities in funding, and the implications of the Corey H. lawsuit to desegregate students with disabilities in Chicago. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Special education and gifted and talented programs were designed for children whose educational needs are not well met in regular classrooms. From their inceptions, these programs have had disproportionate representation of racial and ethnic minority students. What causes this disproportion? Is it a problem? Minority Students in Special and Gifted Education considers possible contributors to that disparity, including early biological and environmental influences and inequities in opportunities for preschool and K-12 education, as well as the possibilities of bias in the referral and assessment system that leads to placement in special programs. It examines the data on early childhood experience, on differences in educational opportunity, and on referral and placement. The book also considers whether disproportionate representation should be considered a problem. Do special education programs provide valuable educational services, or do they set students off on a path of lower educational expectations? Would students not now placed in gifted and talented programs benefit from raised expectations, more rigorous classes, and the gifted label, or would they suffer failure in classes for which they are unprepared? By examining this important problem in U.S. education and making recommendations for early intervention and general education, as well as for changes in referral and assessment processes, Minority Students in Special and Gifted Education will be an indispensable resource to educators throughout the nation, as well as to policy makers at all levels, from schools and school districts to the state and federal governments.

The second edition of this powerful book examines the disproportionate placement of Black and Hispanic students in special education. The authors present compelling, research-based stories representing the range of experiences faced by culturally and linguistically diverse students who fall in the liminal shadow of perceived disability. They examine the children's experiences, their families' interactions with school personnel, the teachers' and schools' estimation of the children and their families, and the school climate that influences decisions about referrals to special education. Based on the authors' 4 years of ethnographic research in a large, culturally diverse school district, the book concludes with recommendations for improving educational practice, teacher training, and policy renewal.

This book asks a question that many educators may think, but won’t say out loud: Does compliance with IDEA legislation matter? The author acknowledges that, while compliance with IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) is important, it can also be an administrative burden that detracts from practitioners’ capacity to adequately serve students with disabilities. Using data collected from three suburban school districts, Voulgarides helps us to understand how compliance with IDEA intersects with decades of evidence of racial inequities in student outcomes. This timely and thought-provoking book unpacks the civil rights history of IDEA, examines the impact of its procedural focus on educational practice, and questions why racial inequities in special education persist despite good intentions by policymakers, educators, and school personnel. Book Features: Uses empirical evidence to examine the common assumption that compliance with IDEA leads to educational equity. Focuses on the different dimensions of the equity concern that lie at the intersection between race, disability, and educational policy. Challenges practitioners to think about the roles they play in both the production and the disruption of educational inequities.