Author ORCID Identifier

Rachel E. Fish: 0000-0002-5720-021X

Kenneth Shores: 0000-0003-3039-420X

João M. Souto Maior: 0000-0003-3421-0754

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-5-2025

Publication Title

Exceptional Children

Abstract

This essay provides a two-pronged critical assessment of a subset of the literature on racial disproportionality in special education: that which aims to estimate racial disparities among otherwise similar children. This body of research has shown that Black students are less likely than comparable White students to receive special education, and has been interpreted by many to mean that current policies meant to reduce Black over-representation may be exacerbating inequality. Our essay argues that this subset of research has fundamental limitations in its covariate adjustment practices and its data quality, making “under-representation” findings questionable. We argue that caution and further study are needed for an accurate understanding of the nature of racial disproportionality in special education.

Keywords

special education, racial disproportionality, race, disability

DOI

10.31235/osf.io/p2u5r_v2

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Comments

Author’s submitted manuscript.

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Education Commons

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