The phrase “Disproportionate Representation in Special
Education” is one I never heard of before.
The best way to describe it is the over- or under representation in
special education of students who are a minority. These minorities mainly have racial and
ethnic backgrounds, but can also include those from lower income families or have
limited English proficiency and other minority populations. In some cases it has been found to be another
form of segregation. If a minority is in
a predominately white school, there may be situations where it is assumed they
need special education and placed in that setting rather than receiving their
education in the same manner as the white students. However, they truly don’t need special education;
they just need educators that are attuned to the complexities of diversity in
America today.
In Chapter 5 of our text Education for All, the author says,
“The design, content, and assumptions on which American schooling are based
continue to validate the goals of white Americans, sometimes at a cost to
students of color.” I feel this
statement can be applied across the board to all minorities in this
country. I don’t believe the curriculum
should be changed to accommodate diversity, but I feel the educators themselves
need better training in and an understanding of what diversity is and how to
effectively instruct and relate to the minorities in their schools.
In the schools I have been in I have not noticed any inequalities
relating to students in the special education programs. However, I am absolutely sure it happens in
schools in this area and may even be higher in predominately white, higher
income population schools. So what
should be done? If there are special
education classes with the majority of students being a minority, the program
and placement in that program should be evaluated. Also, with our country become more diverse as
each day passes, there needs to be diversity training for teachers. This training should be mandated and paid for
by the federal government as the diversity in this country is because we are
the land of opportunity and is why immigration is accepted and allowed. I believe diversity is a wonderful thing and
is a strength for students in the classroom and would welcome and appreciate training
in that area.
Danielle, I could not agree with you more about diversity. Diversity can be such a wonderful thing, look at the great things it has done for our American past. As teachers we need to be accepting of all cultures, backgrounds, and religions. Though the acceptance of diversity it not only benefits us as humans, but it does wonders for the students we teach. We often forget children are like sponges, they not only pick up and retain our words, but our actions as well.
ReplyDeleteDiverse... yes. In the classroom, I would say that we teach students to accept each others differences and to find similarities with each other. However, when we have to give a state test that is the same for all and our expectations of what each group of students knows is the same, we are no longer wanting diversity. I am not sure that our government embraces diversity. Its easy to say that teachers should be differentiating and modifying the curriculum to fit the needs of the students and their backgrounds and cultures, when in the end we want them to all be able to answer the same types of questions no matter how far removed they are from the topic or language.
ReplyDeleteI think the best solution for this problem is to arm educators with strategies and resources to help alleviate this issue. Especially when it comes to problems with language barriers. I think that sometimes teachers may want to do the right thing for all of their students but just may not know what that is. Offering them support and PD would make a huge impact. ESL teachers and coordinators can be a great help in many cases.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with you when you stated that the educators themselves need more or better training in how to accommodate to having a diverse classroom. I do not believe that the curriculum should be changed wither because as an educator you should always be presenting challenging material and always pushing students to reach their potential.
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