Underrepresented In Special Education Essay

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One of the most complex issues in special education today is disproportionality. Approximately 13.5 percent of all students in schools K-12 receive special education services, however, minority students are receiving special education services at rates that are significantly higher (Disproportionality, 2008). There are higher rates of minorities being placed in special education compared to their counterparts. When focusing on African Americans, they compose 17 percent of all students in the United States, and they account for 41 percent of all children placed in special education (Bolden, 2009). Many African Americans students who are underachievers or display behavioral issues are being identified has having a disability, and are being …show more content…
Consequently, after research, it is imperative to know if minority students are being overrepresented and underrepresented in special education, however, it is even more important to know if services are going to be beneficial or not. In other words, disproportionality is a significant problem, despite whether children are being overrepresented or underrepresented in special education because they are still lacking the proper interventions and services they need to strive and excel for success. For students who are overrepresented, they are most likely placed in special education for inappropriate reasons. They could benefit from effective teaching methods and intervention without being labeled as a special education student. For students who are underrepresented, they most likely do not qualify for special education services due to poverty issues, and they are not placed in special education classes, which can be harmful and detrimental to their education. If every child is provided opportunities and services that are perceived as positive and effective on the basis of his or her needs, disproportionality is not a problem in and of itself (Gorski, n.d.). Disproportionality, however, does become a problem when factors of decision making include inadequate evaluation procedures and teacher bias in

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