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Overrepresentation of Minority in Special Education
George Giovinazzo
The Pennsylvania State University
December 2012
RHS 302 Major Paper
Introduction
An important aspect of the American educational system is what has been termed as
“Special Education.” Special education generally refers to the separation of students with
disabilities from mainstream classrooms, into classrooms that can better accommodate the needs
of those students (Solity, 1992). In one sense, special education is a shining example of
American integrity, ensuring educational opportunities for all students. On the other hand, it is
important to point out a major problem that exists within special education in America, and
across the world. Overrepresentation of minority students in special education classes is a social
issue that has garnered national attention in recent years, and research has proven to show that
this problem not only exists, but poses serious concerns regarding assessment and testing in the
human services field. This essay will investigate the overrepresentation of minority students in
special education classes by outlining the scope of the problem, analyzing research findings, and
concluding with recommendations for how to change this issue.
Scope of the Problem
The first step in examining the overrepresentation of minority students in special
education classes is to gain an understanding of the raw data that illustrates the populations
represented in special education. According to the Encyclopedia of the Social and Cultural
Foundations of Education, African Americans account for 17% of the entire population of
children enrolled in kindergarten through twelfth grade (Provenzo 2009). In special education
classes, African Americans account for 33% of the total student population (2009). 2.64% of all
African American students are enrolled in special education programs, compared to 1.18% of
white students (2009). In a book titled Racial Inequity and Special Education, The Harvard
Education Press points to the high vulnerability of minority students, particularly African
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American students, to be labeled as emotionally or behaviorally disabled. Data representative of
minority students in this category is around the 26th percentile (Losen 2002). Racial Inequity and
Special Education also presents data estimating that in 2000, 29 American states were seen to
have twice as many “emotionally and behaviorally disabled” that belonged to a minority group
(2009).
Validity is an important aspect of research, and after investigation it is important to note
the correlation between research studies. The research outlined in the book Racial Inequity and
Special Education is consistent with research performed by the National Research Council in
2002 that specifically sought to investigate the relationship between disproportionate minority
representations with regards to poverty and the educational aspects of the classroom in schools
where minority populations make up the majority of the population (2002). From the data
presented above, it is clear that there is an overrepresentation of minorities in the special
education programs in the United States.
Internationally, minority overrepresentation of special education classes exists, presents
similar social issues, and can be seen through the Australian education system. In a study that
examined enrollment data over thirteen years, researchers were able to identify certain
overrepresented minorities in “special classroom settings” (Sweller 2012). The research team
compared rates of indigenous, and English speaking students who were mainstreamed into
regular classroom settings, to the apparent nonexistent mainstreaming of minority students into
regular classroom settings (2012). Over thirteen years, the population of non-minority students
that essentially were “mainstreamed” into regular classroom settings greatly increased (2012). In
the case of minority students, no increase was presented (2012). In fact, the rate of
mainstreaming decreased (2012). This data provides insight to the international and cross-
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cultural research that continually presents a misrepresentation of minority students in special
education programs.
Research Conclusions
This section analyzes research and examines the perceived causes of the
overrepresentation of minority students in special education programs. One facet of the
educational system that contributes to the overrepresentation of minority students in special
education classes deals with national testing. In a journal titled Education, researchers from The
City College in New York City addressed this issue. The article argues that one major reason
minorities, namely African Americans, are misrepresented in special education programs is due
to the fact that school administrators are rewarded for achieving high scores on National
Assessments (Agbenyega, S., Jiggetts, J., 1999). Principals are increasingly making efforts to
place “low-achieving” students into special education programs, as to exclude them from the
general population of students who would take a national exam. Agbenyega and Jiggetts claim
that this is occurs because of the financial compensation administrators are rewarded for
maintaining a school with higher academic competence (1999).
That same article also points to another interesting argument as to why minorities are
overrepresented in special education. While examining the population of urban schools,
Agbenyega and Jiggetts analyzed the relationship between public welfare agencies and special
education programs. Their research concluded that in areas where minority students are
overrepresented in special education, there is a correlation between the lacks of funds established
for public welfare, particularly revolving around the needs of urban minority children (1999).
The article argues that minority children are at an economic disadvantage, are continually subject
to adverse environments. These disadvantages impact the potential ability to change behaviors of
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problem, which ultimately leads to segregation whether by special education, suspension, or
expulsion.
Another important consideration of the cause of minority overrepresentation of special
education programs deals with the fine line of diagnosis of a disability. The Encyclopedia of the
Social and Cultural Foundations of Education argues that since “biological proof” is not
necessary for most diagnoses, misdiagnosis due to factors such as poor academic performance
and problematic behavior are attributed to some sort of disability (2009). This inaccurate
diagnosis leads to children on the border line of disability most likely being put into special
education classes, although that can certainly be avoided (2009). This problem is multi-faceted,
encompassing issues regarding minority misrepresentation, and limiting academic potential. If a
student is placed in a special education program, and does not really need to be, it can impact
their long term academic achievement, and possibly the students with disabilities whose
academic achievement needs individualized attention.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the overrepresentation of minority students in special education classes is
an international issue that, if to be fixed, requires a boost of integrity from school administrators
and government officials alike. In the United States, the data regarding the overrepresentation of
minority students in special education programs is appalling, and research by professionals
points out to three main causes of this misrepresentation. These include a lack of honor of school
officials who intend on raising national test scores for personal financial gain, a lack of
community based welfare agencies in urban America, and the misdiagnosis or wrong association
of minority students with disabilities. Having completed research on this topic, it appears to me
that there is a lack of overall care, and that our society is more focused on personal
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advancements, rather than the advancements of the future of our country, our school-aged
children.
A way to combat this overrepresentation of minority students deals with legislation
handed down from President Barack Obama. In an effort to ensure the proper education of all
students in the country, especially minority students who are currently wrongly placed in special
education programs, the systems that financially reward school administrators for higher national
assessment scores need to be eliminated. Although it is nice to get a bonus, real educators who
care about their students will be more inclined to hold higher educational positions as to ensure
the overall education of every student. Essentially, this is aimed at removing those who have
unethical intentions regarding financial compensation and national test scores. This effort,
combined with establishing grants for urban school counseling programs aimed at maintaining an
ethical and appropriate school environment for students with and without disabilities, would
hopefully in time lead to the accurate representation of minority students in special education
programs.
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References
Agbenyega, S., Jiggetts, J. (1999). "MINORITY CHILDREN & THEIR OVERREPRESENTATION IN SPECIAL EDUCATION." Education, 119, (4). Retrieved
November 15, 2012 from Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context.
Losen, D. J.. & Orfield, G. (Eds.). (2002). Racial Inequity and Special Education.
Cambridge, Mass: Harvard Education Press.
Provenzo, E. (2009). Minority Disproportionality in Special Education. In Encyclopedia of the
Social and Cultural Foundations of Education. Retrieved November 15, 2012, from Gale
Virtual Reference Library
Solity, J. (1992). Special Education. New York, NY: Cassell Education Ltd.
Sweller, N.,Graham, L.J., & Van Bergen, P. (2012). The Minority Report: Disproportionate
Representation in Australia's Largest Education System. Exceptional Children, 79(1),
107-125.