An examination of referral and eventual placement of students in special education settings in a mid-sized urban school district in Southern California

The disproportionate representation of African-American students in special education classes is a critical challenge facing educators, school administrators, policymakers and advocates in the nation today. In spite of the historic passage of laws that delineated the rights of students with disabilities, overrepresentation of minorities in special education still continue to be pervasive and persistent.;The purpose of this research was to investigate, analyze and examine the referrals and placement of students in special education settings in a mid-sized urban school district in Southern California. Student files and psychological evaluations were examined to collect data on student referral and eventual placement in special education settings. Interviews were conducted with teachers who referred students and psychologists who determined their eligibility for special education services.;One of the goals of the study was to ascertain to what extent teacher recommendations for special education eligibility were in compliance with state and federal mandates. This study found that the procedures used for placing students in special education were not in compliance with state and federal mandates. Another goal was to find out how teachers were utilizing classroom interventions before recommending students for consideration of special eligibility. This research did not find any satisfactory use of interventions that were implemented before students were referred for consideration of special education eligibility. A major goal was to find out if there were any evidence of confirmation bias which resulted in the over-identification of any subgroups by using the formula of Chinn and Hughes. This study confirmed that there was confirmation bias toward subgroups because of the over-identification of second language learners, African-American students and male students.;It is hoped that the findings of this study when shared with the district, will improve conformity to state and federal mandates. It will also act as a catalyst to reduce and eventually eliminate the misidentification and misclassification of students for special education.