2. Exceptional Children
Disproportionality in
Special Education: Effects
of Individual and School
Variables on Disability Risk
AMANDA L. SULLIVAN
University of Minnesota
AYDINBAL
University of Wisconsin-Madison
“The most consistent predictors of identification across the
categories were students‘ gender, race, socioeconomic status,
and number of suspensions.”
3. My little brother, J.R. is smart, funny, capable, a
great cook and he was in Special Education
classes throughout his school career in the late
1980s to 1990s.
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4. J.R. grew up on the east side of
Indianapolis, IN.
• Poverty
• Neglect
• In and out of foster
care
• Dad in jail
• Physical abuse
• Unstable home life
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5. American Psychological
Association
Education and Socioeconomic Status
Socioeconomic status (SES) is often measured as a
combination of education, income and occupation. It is
commonly conceptualized as the social standing or
class of an individual or group. When viewed through
a social class lens, privilege, power, and control are
emphasized. Furthermore, an examination of SES as
a gradient or continuous variable reveals inequities in
access to and distribution of resources. SES is
relevant to all realms of behavioral and social science,
including research, practice, education and advocacy.
6. Special Education in
Indianapolis Public
Schools in the past.
• Secluded from general education students
• Not being taught academics
• Placed in a room to play games all day
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7. Bias in Evaluating
Students
• Racial and socioeconomic bias in testing.
• Stigma and Expectations
• Labeled
• Meat Ax-Approach
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8. Brown Vs Board of
Education
• Equal rights for African American students (1954)
• No segregation
• Congress took closer look at inequality
• The seed for equal rights for children with disabilities
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9. Antidiscrimination Laws
• Rehabilitation Act of 1973-Prohibits discrimination
solely on disability against any otherwise qualified
person with a disability in any program receiving
federal assistance.
• Education of All Handicapped Children Act (1975)-
Rights of all student to a free appropriate public
education.
10. Antidiscrimination Laws
• Americans with disabilities Act of 1990- Prohibits
discrimination solely on disability against any
otherwise qualified person with a disability in
employment, public service, public
accommodations, transportation, and
telecommunications.
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1990)
law ensuring services to children with disabilities
throughout the nation.
11. Antidiscrimination Laws
• No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) is a
United States Act of Congress that is a
reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act, which included Title I, the
government's flagship aid program for
disadvantaged students.
12. Current Special
Education
• Interventions prior to evaluating for Special Education
• Background considered in testing
• People First
• Reevaluated
• Individualized evaluation
• Inclusion
• Misclassification
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