What is the concept of disproportionality?

The term disproportionate means unequal or out of proportion. Although there are discrepancies in many areas, disproportionality in special education is generally referring to racial and ethnic discrepancies that exist in the identification, placement, and discipline of students with disabilities.

How do you explain disproportionality?

Disproportionality is the overrepresentation of a specific race or ethnicity identified in one or more of four areas: identification of a disability in general; identification of a specific race or ethnicity in a specific disability category; discipline; and placement.

What are the three components of disproportionality?

“Significant disproportionality” refers to three separate but related trends that impact a student's educational experience: (1) identification for special education (also called eligibility); (2) educational placement (once identified as eligible for special education); and (3) discipline.

What is the problem with disproportionality?

Why Is Disproportionality a Problem? When schools have higher numbers of certain ethnic or minority students enrolled in special education that they should have by statistical standards, it signals the possibility that some of the students may not be truly disabled and may have been incorrectly identified.

What is the idea of disproportionality in special education?

Within the context of this training session, disproportionality refers to situations when the percentage of students from a specific racial or ethnic group in special education programs or specific special education categories is noticeably greater than (or markedly less than) the percentage of their enrollment in a ...

Critical Concept: Disproportionality

Why is disproportionality a problem in special education?

Disproportionality in special education is a problem that impacts both students and teachers. Children improperly placed in special education programs may not be receiving the best support to meet their needs, leading to problems in student performance.

Why is disproportionality an issue in special education?

Research suggests that a child's race and ethnicity significantly influence the probability that he or she will be misidentified as needing special education. This mis-identification can have immediate and long term negative effects.

Why is disproportionality important?

Disproportionality is important because, in some cases, it may signal the presence of bias in the identification of children with disabilities; and inappropriately identifying children as disabled is harmful.

What is an example of disproportionality in schools?

Being disproportionately represented refers to the unequal or unfair amount of people who are grouped in a category. In special education, there is a disproportionate representation of students of color and those who come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

What contributes to disproportionality?

Factors contributing to disproportionality include cultural bias, a fearful agency climate, communication barriers, ineffective service delivery, and workforce issues.

What is the root cause analysis for disproportionality?

Root Cause Analysis is a process school districts, regional/county organizations, and state departments of education use to identify the basis for the disproportionality. Stakeholders triangulate and analyze multiple data points to discern patterns of behavior and determine impetus for the disproportionality.

What is the difference between disparity and disproportionality?

While disproportionality refers to the state of being out of proportion, disparity refers to a state of being unequal. Disparity occurs when the ratio of one racial or ethnic group in an event is not equal to the ratio of another racial or ethnic group who experienced the same event.

How do you fix disproportionality in special education?

What happens if there is a determination of significant disproportionality?

Once identified as Significantly Disproportionate, the LEA is required to take mandatory actions including, but not limited to, reserving 15 percent of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds to develop and implement a Compliance and Improvement Monitoring (CIM) for CCEIS action plan and provide ...

What is ethnic disproportionality?

The over-representation of people from minority ethnic communities in the youth justice system is referred to as ethnic disproportionality.

What is disproportionality in the child welfare system?

Black and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) children are overrepresented in the child welfare system, resulting in disparate outcomes. Inequitable decision-making results in racial disparities at nearly every point along the child welfare continuum.

What is disproportionality in discipline in education?

Zero-tolerance discipline policy and punitive procedures are often associated with racial and ethnic disproportionality. Proactive behavior management involves setting clear expectations and recognition systems so that students know what behavior is considered acceptable.

What does disproportionately represented mean?

Disproportionality may be defined as the representation of a group in a category that exceeds expectations for that group, or differs substantially from the representation of others in that category.

What is disproportionality in social work?

Within the context of the child welfare system, disproportionality occurs when the proportion of one racial or ethnic group in the child welfare population (for example, children in foster care) is proportionately larger than the proportion of the same group in the general child population.

What causes disproportionality in schools?

For example, research has shown that the following influence disproportionate outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education: (1) discipline policies and practices, (2) interventions and referrals, (3) instruction and assessment, (4) differential access to educational opportunity, (5) ...

Why are minorities disproportionately diagnosed with learning disabilities?

Many researchers are concerned that disproportionate identification of racial/ethnic minorities with learning disabilities is part of the long history of racism and stratification within education (Patton 1998; Skiba et al. 2008). Some attribute disproportionality to blatant educator racism (Anderson 1997; Skiba et al.

Which of the following students are disproportionately overrepresented in special education?

Q 2. The two racial/ethnic groups most disproportionately overrepresented in special education are African American/Black and Hispanic/Latino.

How can we stop unequal education?

Stop the expansion of charter and private schools as it is not affordable for all students and creates segregation. Deprioritize test based funding because it discriminates against disadvantaged students. Support teachers financially, as in offering higher salaries and benefits for teachers to improve retention.

Is disparity an inequality?

If you look up the word “disparity” in a dictionary, you will most likely find it defined simply as difference, variation, or, perhaps, inequality, without further specification.

What does disparity mean in education?

Research. Adopt a broad definition of educational disparities to include those differences that (a) overlap with social class; (b) reflect bias and differential treatment in the educational system; and (c) are based on different responses to the educational system.