An Investigation of the Impacts of State-Mandated Benchmarks on Special Education Eligibility Identification of African American Students

Abstract

Education is critical to a healthy and productive society as it increases the knowledge and outcomes of each of its citizens. Nonetheless, disproportionality has historically been an issue in U.S. public education. Despite its longevity, it is a problem that must be remedied to prevent unnecessary stigmatization, segregation, and low expectations (Losen & Orfield, 2002; Losen & Welner, 2002). Educational reforms established to protect student groups may in fact yield negative outcomes. Policy addressing disproportionality of minority students in a disability category could result in reduced disproportionality in that category; however, other categories may show an increase in disproportionality (Oswald et al., 2002). The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact on District A’s special education referral and evaluation practices of the state mandated risk ratio benchmarks for identifying significant disproportionality in special education identification. Decisions regarding referral for special education evaluation and subsequent determination of eligibility to receive services for most students happens at the school level. Therefore, a state policy that establishes a risk ratio threshold for determining if significant disproportionality among subgroups of students exists is a policy instrument that requires changes at both the district and individual school levels to achieve its goal. This study used a mixed methods approach and used data analysis, focus groups, individual interviews, and document analysis to investigate the impact of the state mandated risk ratio benchmarks for identifying significant disproportionality on the special education referral and evaluation practices at the district and school-based level in District A. Data from this study helped to identify areas where the district should focus its efforts to solve its significant disproportionality of African American students identified as having an IDEA disability in the categories of Specific Learning Disability or Emotional Disability.