The Misrepresentation of African American
Students in Special Education Programs

SOCI 2301
Research Proposal

Introduction In the American education system, there is a steady increase in the number of Black students that are placed in special education programs. Black children are primarily labeled with either being Educable Mentally Retarded (EMR), or having a Behavioral Disorder (BD) (Kunjufu, 1995). This is a concern because statistics show that even though African American children only constitute 17 percent of all students, they compromise 41 percent of all special education placements, and out of the 41 percent of black children that are placed in special education programs, 85 percent are boys (National Research Council, 1999). These statistics are not only alarming, but it has also been recognized that African American students, particularly black males, are either misdiagnosed or misplaced into special education programs. This is a noted and ongoing problem within the public school system, and it is a problem that is raising many questions. For instance, why are black children disproportionately labeled? Why are black boys labeled EMR and BD more than girls? Do these labels adversely affect their self-esteem? Is there a difference between these statistics and the lack of black male teachers in the school system? Are there differences between black and white female teachers as they relate to black male children? All of these questions have come up while researching this topic, all of which the research will attempt to find answers to.
Review of Literature The overrepresentation of African American children in special education programs has remained a persistent problem for over twenty years, and the reality of it all is that the failing education system has to take some blame for this growing problem (Patton 1998). Due to all the factors working against students living in poverty or coming from a low socioeconomic status background, poor students are overrepresented in special education classes including communication disorders and mild developmental disabilities (Grossman, 2002). Documented statistics by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights proves the urgency in which solutions need to be met (Hosp & Reschly, 2004). One major issue surrounding the placement of black students in special education is affected by the bias testing often administered by our public school system (Patton, 1998). The first major court case over test bias involving African American students was the case of Larry P. v. Riles (1984). This case stemmed from a disagreement in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) in 1971 where African Americans made up 28.5% of the student population in the SFUSD, yet they represented 66% of children who were placed in classes for the EMR. The students were asking the courts to intervene and prevent the SFUSD from using the IQ test. They claimed that the IQ test violated their 14th Amendment rights. After twelve years of litigation, the courts ruled in favor of the students. This ruling further showed the importance of the federal regulation that states “Testing and evaluation materials and procedures used for the purpose of evaluation and placement of children with disabilities must be selected and administered so as not to be racially or culturally discriminatory” (34 C.F.R. § 300.500(b), 1996). There were other lawsuits concerning this same issue, but the results were not always the same, leaving one to assume that cases concerning biased testing will be handled on a case by case basis (Russo & Johnson, 1997). Not only is bias testing a contributing factor to the misrepresentation of African American children in special education programs, but the fact that there are educators teaching black students who are not aware of the cultural differences is also a contributing factor (Markowitz and Eichelberger, 1997). Cultural differences are often misunderstood and then diagnosed as a learning disability (Patton, 1998). This is a problem that will not begin to change unless teachers are provided with training that will show them how to be culture sensitive (Ladner and Hammons, 2001). Gilbert and Gay (1985) suggest that Black students who are misdiagnosed and misplaced are often having difficulty in the regular classroom because this education environment is not set up to meet the needs of culturally different students. Placement in special education classes does little if anything to solve the original problem. This is because special education classrooms are likewise not set up to meet the needs of students with cultural differences (Gilbert and Gay, 1985). Another cause of misplacement of African American students is low self-esteem. It has been suggested that the effects of being placed in a special education classroom may cause a student to take on the characteristics of the disability over time (Hosp and Reschly, 2004). In early years, black children are eager and enthusiastic, however, by fifth grade the liveliness are gone, replaced with passivity and apathy (Markowitz and Eichelberger, 1997). Several visionary and sensitive educators are leading a small group of individuals attracting attention to the root cause of low levels of self-esteem and poor scholastic achievement in African-American males (Patton, 1998). Spencer Holland, Director of the Center for Educating African-American males and the impetus behind Project 2000, cites poor academic achievement as one reason for the low level of self-esteem in adolescent African-American males (Patton, 1998). Scholastic achievement levels can be improved in African-American male students by focusing on self-esteem and learning styles which tap non-European processes (Patton, 1998). Although there is not a current solution in place, several proposed answers are emerging. Some solutions to the plight of black children would be making changes to the current testing practices within the school system, working with parents, and promoting a culture-sensitive curriculum (Perry and Delpit, 1998). The system which would be most able to implement culture-sensitive curriculum is, of course, the local public school system (Perry and Delpit, 1998). To solve the problem of disproportionate and overrepresentation of Black students in special education classrooms will require a grassroots organization to assume leadership responsibility (Reschly, 1997). The first step is getting public school systems to change present testing and placement practices used in placing students in special education classes (Patton, 1998). There is a testing instrument that can be used to help eliminate the overrepresentation of Black children in special education, and that system is called, System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA) (Hosp and Reschly, 2004). This testing instrument is non-biased toward all ethnic groups, and with the use of black psychologist in the evaluation of Black students for special education, with who are familiar with the cultural background, would help alleviate the problem of cultural misunderstanding (Reschly, 1998). Researchers state that the education of current and future teachers also needs to be revamped. Another step in helping to solve the problem involves both public schools and college and university teacher training programs. If a Black student is to be identified only when there is merely a display of cultural difference, the educators working with a child must understand and be sensitive to those cultural differences (Kunjufu, 1995). Likewise, if classrooms in both regular and special education are to meet the needs of Black students in the best possible manner, then teachers and those who design the instructional materials, must be familiar with the culture of all students (Ladner and Hammons, 2001). The only way this awareness can be developed is by systematically pre-servicing and in-servicing educators in this field of study (Perry and Delpit, 1998).
Methodology
The data in this study will examine ways in which we can reduce the disproportionate number of African American children whom represent over half of the children in special education programs in America. This study included a comprehensive review and critical analysis of research and literature concerning the factors involved in the misrepresentation of African American children in special education. The samples in this study are African American children who are placed in special education classes. The students analyzed attend public schools throughout the United States and range from ages five to thirteen. The analysis of the schools that were chosen depended on the racial diversity of the school. A school whose population was predominantly African American would not prove to be beneficial to the study, on the other hand, the study of schools that had a mixed racial population of whites, blacks, and others proved to be more beneficial samples. An examination of peer reviewed articles, websites, statistical data, and books are the content used as the basis of the analysis.
Instrument
An existing survey designed by James A. Schnell will be administered to at least one hundred students who attend Kennesaw State University and is an education major. This instrument focuses on teacher’s expectations, standards, and personal perspectives. This survey can help teachers increase their awareness of areas which are often misunderstood among teachers. The survey includes demographic questions on age, sex, and race and twelve multiple choice questions. The self-completed survey is completely confidential, no names or personal identification will be collected. The participants will be ensured that their identification will be confidential both verbally and through a cover letter. The quantitative data will be entered into the Statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The author of the survey has given permission to reproduce this survey.
Conclusion
The purpose of this study is to determine the degree to which Black students are overrepresented and misplaced in special education. In American society, the victims are usually the ones blamed since they have the fewest resources to defend themselves. A lot of African American parents simply just do not know what rights are available for them and their children, and due to the ignorance of these parents, they put their trust in the system and the labels are placed upon their children uncontested. Resources need to be provided and time should be spent on helping parents develop strategies on learning their rights. Current testing, placement practices, insufficient parental knowledge of special education rights and responsibilities, and the lack of cultural diversity training for teachers are all participants to this ongoing problem. Special education can be helpful to many students, but imagine being placed with special students when it is not necessary. Imagine feeling alienated. Many Black children feel this way. They are placed in special education programs, when they should be blending in with their peers. They are misunderstood and misplaced. To begin correcting this problem more research is needed. Limited research is available in this area, and in order to rectify the misrepresentation of Black students in special education research must be conducted as a basis for informing current practice. Further studies must be implemented to investigate why Black students, especially males, are consistently overrepresented in the special education population.

Appendix A
Survey on Cultural Bound Areas for Self-Reflection

Kennesaw State University
1000 Chastain Road
Kennesaw, Georgia 30144-5591

The purpose of this survey is to evaluate the cross-cultural sensitivity of educators by comparing/contrasting their perceptions with others. Through self-reporting, this survey can be used to raise awareness of the primary areas of cross-cultural differences in the classroom.

The purpose of this research has been explained and my participation is entirely voluntarily. I have the right to stop participation at any time without penalty. I understand that the research entails no known risks and that my responses are not being recorded in any individually identifiable form. By anonymously completing this survey, I am agreeing to participate in this research project.

Questions or problems regarding this project should be addressed to:

Dr. Judy Riley
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice
Kennesaw State University
Email: jriley10@kennesaw.edu
Phone: 770.423.6739

Sincerely,

Charitta Chambers, Investigator

Appendix B: Survey on Cultural Bound Areas for Self-Reflection
Age______ Sex ______ (M=male, F=female)
Race: Caucasian Hispanic African American Asian Other___________ (please circle one) SA=Strongly Agree A=Agree N=Neutral D=Disagree SD=Strongly Disagree

I. EXPECTATIONS AND STANDARDS SA A N D SD

A. Teacher-student communication should be based 5 4 3 2 1 on formal (rather than informal) interaction.

B. Dress and cleanliness in important. 5 4 3 2 1

C. If a student is academically unprepared, it is primarily his/her own fault. 5 4 3 2 1

D. Students should have a lot of free time. 5 4 3 2 1

E. Respect for authority is important. 5 4 3 2 1

F. If a student is caught in an academically dishonest action, he/she should be expelled from school. 5 4 3 2 1

II. APPROACHES SA A N D SD
A. I handle emotionally charged issues and conflict by never losing control of myself or my control over the classroom. 5 4 3 2 1

B. Humor is essential in the classroom. 5 4 3 2 1

C. I enjoy some students less than others. 5 4 3 2 1

III. PREFERENCES SA A N D SD
A. It is important for me to treat students the same. they should never know if I really like them individually or not. 5 4 3 2 1

B. I prefer group (instead of individual) learning activities. 5 4 3 2 1

C. I prefer docile (instead of aggressive) students. 5 4 3 2 1

REFERENCES
Gilbert, S., & Gay, G. (1985). “Improving the success in school of poor black children.” Kappan, 67, 133-138.
Grossman, H. (2002). Ending discrimination in special education. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
Hosp, John L., and Daniel J. Reschly. “Disproportionate Representation of Minority Students in Special Education Academic, Demographic and Economic Predictors.” Exceptional Children, Vol. 70, (2004).
Kunjufu, Jawanza. 1995. Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys. Chicago, IL.
Ladner, Matthew, and Christopher Hammons. “Special but Unequal: Race and Special Education.” Rethinking Special Education for a New Century. (2001): 85-110.
Markowitz, J., Garcia, S., and Eichelberger, J. H. (1997) “Addressing the disproportionate placement of students from racial and ethnic minority groups in special ed programs and classes.” Alexandria, VA: National Association of State Directors of Special Education.
Patton, James M. “The Disproportionate Representation of African Americans in Special Education: Looking Behind the Curtain for Understanding and Solutions.” Journal of Special Education 32.1 (1998): 25-31.
Perry, Theresa, and Lisa D. Delpit. 1998. The Real Ebonics Debate: Power, Language, and the Education of African-American Children. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Reschly, Daniel. 1997. “Disproportionate Minority Representation in General and Special Education: Patterns, Issues, and Alternatives”. Des Moines, IA: Iowa Department of Education.
Sharpe, Micheal N. 1997. “Disproportionate Representation of Minorities in Special Education: A Focus Group Study of Parent Perspctives. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Children and Family Services.