Students of color, English learners, and those from non-dominant cultures often face disproportionate identification and placement in special education, along with related disciplinary disparities. While special education services are crucial for students with actual disabilities, many students are wrongly referred to special education due to struggles stemming from inadequate education policies and classroom practices that fail to meet their needs. Pedagogical practices based on the dominant culture often lack culturally responsive elements, leading to classrooms that do not reflect or value the sociocultural contexts of these students. This disconnect can impede learning and result in teachers mistakenly perceiving these students as having learning or behavioral issues, prompting inappropriate special education referrals.
This brief suggests that district leaders tackle this critical issue by focusing on four key areas:
Implementing culturally responsive and sustaining policies and practices across all educational settings.
Enhancing the special education identification process.
Integrating culturally responsive and sustaining policies and practices specifically in behavior management efforts.
Developing culturally responsive data literacy among district staff at all levels.
Citation: Harvey, A. 2023. “Research-Based Strategies for Addressing Disproportionality in Special Education.” Western Educational Equity Assistance Center at WestEd. https://weeac.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Addressing-Disproportionality-in-Special-Education.pdf (accessed, June 14, 2024).
Equity is providing additional and different resources (intellectual, human, and fiscal) to ensure all students and teachers receive what is needed to exceed performance targets.
EDEquity, (2017).
