Black and poor students are suspended from U.S. schools at higher rates than White and nonpoor students. While the existence of these disparities has been clear, the causes of the disparities have not. This study found Black and poor students are, in fact, punished more harshly than the students with whom they fight.
Barrett, N., McEachin, A., Mills, J. N., & Valant, J. (2021). Disparities and discrimination in student discipline by race and family income. Journal of Human Resources, 56(3), 711-748.
The author has discovered a multitude of equity initiatives to address equity gaps within the system of education.
Javius, E.L. "Educational Equity is About More Than Closing Gaps." Leadership, (2017).
This technical assistance manual is used for identifying root causes to assist educators seeking to understand disproportionality as an outcome of policies, practices, and beliefs.
Fergus, E., Ahram, R. Equity in Education—Addressing Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality in Special Education, Volume 1. Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, NYU Steinhardt, 2009.
This document contains a table that outlines three distinct requirements around equity: Disproportionate Representation, Significant Discrepancy, and Significant Disproportionality. This resource can help clarify the differences and similarities among the three equity requirements and enable users to compare and contrast these various equity requirements in key areas such as methodology, data sources, and reporting considerations.
Nancy O’Hara, and Bollmer, Julie. 2020. Equity Requirements in IDEA. https://www.ideadata.org/resources/resource/1590/equity-requirements-in-idea (accessed September 16, 2022).
A collaboration between South County SELPA, the Equity, Disproportionality & Design Project, and the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST), featuring teachers and school leaders from award-winning schools. In this five session series, NCUST Executive Coaches Cara Riggs, Dr. Rupi Boyd, and Dr. Joseph Johnson will teach about five important practices successful schools have used to elevate learning to new levels for all students.
Equity, Disproportionality & Design, (2021).
This research article demonstrates that racial/ethnic disparities continue to exist for minoritized communities, noting that White students were overrepresented as having autism in special education. Caregiver perspectives were gathered and the data showed that English speaking parents were more likely to identify early signs of autism.
Paul Luelmo, Hall, Laura J., and Estrellado, R. 2022. Examination of Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality of Autism in California.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1750946722000885 (accessed September 16, 2022).
This paper suggests using root cause analysis with educational partners to address issues of equity in discipline.
Sandomierski, T., Martinez, S., Webster, R., Winneker, A., & Minch, D. (2022). From “Quick Fix” to Lasting Commitment: Using Root Cause Analysis to Address Disproportionate Discipline Outcomes. Preventing School Failure, 66(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2021.1937025
This report focuses on learning experiences in the early years, both through age five and the early grades (K-5). Three key policy areas are identified that strongly influence children's experiences in the classroom: 1. Harsh discipline and its disproportionate application 2. Segregation of children with disabilities in learning settings 3. Inequitable access to bilingual learning opportunities for dual language and English Learners. The report includes learnings and recommendations from their research. Report includes three chapters totaling 140 pages.
Children's Equity Project and the Bipartisan Policy Center. From the Early Years to the Early Grades. Children's Equity Project and the Bipartisan Policy Center.
The IDEA Data Center (IDC) is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to provide technical assistance to build capacity within states for collecting, reporting, analyzing and using high quality IDEA Part B data.
IDEA Data Center (IDC). IDEA Data Center. https://ideadata.org (accessed June 6, 2021).
The author analyzed the national special education data from 2006-2020 for students with diasabilites who are English Learners with a focus on trends and outcomes. The study discusses the implications for schools and districts and the need to address the changes in student population in to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.
Cooc, N. (2023). National Trends in Special Education and Academic Outcomes for English Learners With Disabilities. The Journal of Special Education, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00224669221147272
