The article surveys existing research on disproportionality and outlines three common perspectives used to explain the issue. It is useful for practitioners because it shows how experts have tried to understand factors associated with disproportionality.
Waitoller, F. R., Artiles, A. J., and Cheney, D. "The Miners’ canary: A Review of Overrepresentation Research and Explanations." Journal of Special Education, 44(1), 2010:29-49
Addresses the disproportionate representation of culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education and outlines the theoretical assumptions and principles that should guide efforts to reduce the disproportionate representation of these students in special education.
Janette K. Klingner et al. (2005) Education Policy Analysis Archives.
Includes slideshow, trainers guide, and participant handouts for explaining what states, districts, and schools must now do to address disproportionate representation, including significant disproportionality, as outlined in IDEA 2004.
NOTE: After September 30, 2014 all of the NICHCY resources will be housed in the Center for Parent Information and Resources Library at http://www.parentcenterhub.org/resources
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities: NICHCY (2005).
This law commentary article examines if and how overrepresentation in special education might violate the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Miles, Alana. 2016. “NOTE: Overrepresentation in Special Education: Does the IDEA Violate the Equal Protection Clause?” Rutgers Race & the Law Review 17 (245).
This Board policy ensures equal access to educational opportunity for all students by minimizing or elimination the impacts of disparities in ability, levels of preparation, available resources and social-cultural differences in achievement and performance. Also, it describes how to prevent disproportionality associated between a child's race or ethnicity and the number and type of special education classifications and placements that result.
Mount Diablo Unified School District. 2011. School Board policy - Disproportionality Policy/BP0411. Concord, California: Mount Diablo Unified School District (DOCUMENT)
This article discusses the overrepresentation of Latinx students in special education. It discusses the root causes of significant disproportionality for Latinx students, pre-referral process and data collection, deficit oriented perspectives and building relationships with student and families.
Lueimo, P., Bindreiff, D. 2021. The disproportionality of Latinx students in Special Education: The growing need to build relationships. Leadership Magazine. Sacramento, California: Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) https://leadership.acsa.org/jan-feb-2021
The book provides a qualitative look into how disproportionality manifests in schools. It is useful for practitioners who want to understand how daily practices contribute to inequitable outcomes.
Harry, Beth, and Klinger, Janette. Why Are So Many Minority Students in Special Education? Understanding Race & Disability in Schools, 2nd ed. 2014. New York: Teachers College Press.
