Blog Post #4: Bethany Quetot

Disproportionate representation is a problem in special education. According to the U.S Department of Education, “the fact that greater numbers of students from racial and ethnic minority groups are placed in special education programs than would be anticipated based on their proportion in the general school population is commonly referred to as overrepresentation or disproportionate representation” (2012). African American, Latino, Hispanic, and American Indian are the minorities that have mainly been over represented in special education; especially in mild intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, and speech and language. Personally, I have not had much experience with this. Growing up, I went to a mostly all white school. In my grade specifically, we did not have anyone from the listed minority groups. Now that my daughter is in school I can say that she may have a similar experience. So the data and information on this topic was new for me, and eye- opening. There is a long list of factors that impact this overrepresentation. A few are: socioeconomic levels, poverty, impoverished instruction, racism, and even poor pre-natal care. Any of these factors can impact the student’s learning throughout their life and negatively impact them.

One way that teachers can help prevent this crisis of overrepresentation, and help their racial or minority students, is to become educated so that they can understand the sociocultural and historical aspects that effect their students. This can be done by using culturally responsive instructional approaches. Special educators need to be “active and resourceful in seeking to understand how primary language, culture, and familial backgrounds interact with the individual’s exceptional condition to impact the individual’s academic and social abilities attitudes, values, interests, and career options” (CEC Content Standard, p. 8, 2009).  Teachers have to take in interest in learning about the student, research teaching strategies that will work for them, and communicate with their colleagues. Teachers also have to be aware that once academic issues in the classroom are addressed, students may still be treated poorly by classmates; which means that, teachers cannot ignore social factors for the students and the classroom dynamics. “Cultural responsive instructional practices offer the promise of providing opportunities to learn for culturally and linguistically diverse students and reducing disproportionate representation” (Graf, 2008).

A second way that teachers can help to prevent overrepresentation is by using response to intervention, also known as RTI. RTI has three tiers. The first tier includes ongoing monitoring of a student’s progress in the general education setting. The second tier includes intensive intervention support that is provided to students who have not made enough progress. In the third tier, students will either qualify for special education, or be evaluated for possible placement in special education. Either way, the RTI is a systematic way to possibly move a student into special education if it is needed. RTI provides safeguards to keep students from being placed into special education irresponsibility or when it is not necessary. According to Graf and Jiménez, RTI may be an effective way to avoid overrepresentation by helping “education move away from the deficit – based approach of labeling and sorting children” (2008). Hopefully, RTI will reduce inappropriate referrals, and educators will continue to attempt to grow in their knowledge of the needs of minority students, and become proactive in avoiding displacement for these students. Teachers need to focus on the students needs first, and getting each student the appropriate help that they need to succeed.