This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Oswald, D. P. Articles by Singh, N. N. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Oswald, D. P. Articles by Singh, N. N. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Ethnic Representation in Special Education

The Influence of School-Related Economic and Demographic Variables

Virginia Commonwealth University, Doswald{at}gems.vcu.edu

Martha J. Coutinho

East Tennessee State University

Al M. Best

Virginia Commonwealth University

Nirbhay N. Singh

Virginia Commonwealth University

The purpose of this study was to provide current information on the representation of African American students as mildly mentally retarded (MMR) and seriously emotionally disturbed (SED) and to describe the influence of economic, demographic, and educational variables on the identification of minority students for special education. The sample consisted of the districts selected for the Fall 1992 Elementary and Secondary School Civil Rights Compliance Report survey. Odds ratios were constructed for MMR and SED to describe the nature and extent of disproportionate representation. Regression models were tested to investigate the influence of a set of school-related demographic and fiscal variables on disproportionate representation. Results indicated that African American students were about 2.4 times more likely to be identified as MMR and about 1.5 times more likely to be identified as SED than their non-African American peers. Economic and demographic variables were significant predictors of disproportionate representation but influenced identification of students as MMR and SED in different ways. Implications for research are discussed.

The Journal of Special Education, Vol. 32, No. 4, 194-206 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/002246699903200401


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Strand and G. Lindsay Evidence of Ethnic Disproportionality in Special Education in an English Population Journal of Special Education, November 1, 2009; 43(3): 174 - 190. [Abstract] [PDF]

				G. W. Blood, I. Blood, J. Kreiger, S. O'Connor, and C. D. Qualls Double Jeopardy for Children Who Stutter: Race and Coexisting Disorders Communication Disorders Quarterly, May 1, 2009; 30(3): 131 - 141. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. F. Samson and N. K. Lesaux Language-Minority Learners in Special Education: Rates and Predictors of Identification for Services J Learn Disabil, March 1, 2009; 42(2): 148 - 162. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. Proctor, E. Yairi, M. C. Duff, and J. Zhang Prevalence of Stuttering in African American Preschoolers J Speech Lang Hear Res, December 1, 2008; 51(6): 1465 - 1479. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. J. Landrum Assessment for Eligibility: Issues in Identifying Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders Assessment for Effective Intervention, January 1, 2000; 26(1): 41 - 49. [Abstract] [PDF]