Racial Gaps

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Review of “Segregation and Racial Gaps in Special Education” by Kate McMillan Thomas Introduction The article focuses on the disproportionate number of minority students in special education and aims to identify the causes of racial gaps in special education identification. According to Assessment of Children and Youth with Special Needs, “educational expectations of the classroom developed by members of the majority culture may tend to focus on the individual work of the student, whereas the educational expectations held by other families place importance on group affiliation rather than individual accomplishment,” (Libg Cohen & Spenciner, 2015). Summary According to the article, “minority students are identified with disabilities at higher …show more content…
When comparing white students to Black students, born into similar economic and health circumstances, the disability rate among Black students was 13 percent lower. Similarly, Hispanic students compared to white students, born into similar circumstances, were identified at a rate 8 percent lower (Elder et al., 2021). The study also found that Black kindergartners are underrepresented in special education when compared to white students, creating a gap of 38 percent. However, in fourth grade, this gap decreases to 15 percent. Black students are overrepresented in the intellectual disability category, defined as being “significantly below average in general mental functioning,” (Elder et al., 2021). With Hispanic students, a gap of 40 percent was present in kindergartners when compared to white students of similar circumstances. By 4th grade, this gap has shrunk to only 8 percent. Hispanic students are overrepresented as having a learning disability, but underrepresented among students with speech and language impairments (Elder et al., …show more content…
White students are slightly more likely to be identified as needing special education services in schools with more minority students. According to the article, this could be because “Black and Hispanic students may ‘stand out’ in schools with mostly white students, making their perceived disabilities more readily noticeable in comparison to identical students in schools with large minority populations,” (Elder et al., 2021). The study found that Black and Hispanic students are overrepresented in schools where they are the minority, and underrepresented in schools where they are the majority. Review The article was well-written and provided detailed data and charts that effectively illustrated the gaps in special education identification among Black, Hispanic, and white students. A thorough analysis of this issue sheds light on a critical and often overlooked aspect of educational equity. The information presented is particularly useful to me, as I teach at a predominantly white