The Placement Rate of African American Students with Emotional/ Behavior Disorder (E/BD) Labels
Special education placement is a charged topic of discussion. This topic becomes even more controversial when race and equity issues are considered; such as social or economic conditions of different ethnic groups. Nevertheless, few initiatives have taken place to rectify educational racial disparities. This mixed method research analysis- content and quantitative analyses- reviews the discourse pertaining to the placement of African American students with emotional/behavior disorder (e/bd) labels and offers recommendations that seek remedies to the overrepresentation of African Americans in these placements. Additionally, this research offers a case study of the disproportional placement rates of African American students in special education programs nationally. An analysis of parity between black and white students is offered, as are recommendations to address the educational concerns of African Americans in risk of receiving e/bd labels. The findings section presents statistical data of racial disparities in Illinois. Statistical data offered are disaggregated from the Individuals with Disabilities Act annual congressional reports (IDEAdata.org).
School:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Department:
Special Education
Research Advisor:
Christopher Span
Department of Research Advisor:
Educational Policy Studies
Year of Publication:
2005