SPED 514: Equity Issues in Special Education
Issues and Disparities Amongst Minorities in Special Education
Noguera, Pedro A. and Akom, Akom. (2000, June 5). Disparities Demystified. Gavin K. Mosley
Noguera, Pedro & Akom, Antwi. (2000). Disparities Demystified. The Nation, volume
220, pages 29-31.
Foreword
This article, dating back nearly seventeen years, attempts to unearth the continued issue of disparity between academic achievement amongst whites and non-whites. The article goes in great depth to discuss the issues of, higher frequency of occurrences of minorities in special education, the problems that exist related to academic disparities amongst upper middle class whites versus upper middle class non-whites, as well
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The examining of student data dating back to 1984, the inciting point being when University of California decided to weight grades from advanced placement courses higher than standard classes, was used to see just how much of a difference it made regarding student access to these courses in high income areas versus student achievement in low income …show more content…
Students of color faired no better in relation to admittance to special education classes; students of color were found more likely to be recommended or admitted to special education classes than their white counterparts. While researchers were optimistic at the beginning of their research, assuming to find higher instances of academic success in higher centers of wealth amongst minorities, they became quickly disillusioned after finding that money simply was not a factor. Special education was looked at in two forms, the latter being the less conventional form, that is students being academically gifted. As would be the assumed outcome, researchers found that students of color were more likely to be left out of programs such as International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement than their white counterparts, no matter what their economic standing may be. At the time of this articles printing, it was stressed that AP courses since the beginning of the data set in 1984 had tripled in availability. While this was promising, it also stressed that access to these course in areas of high poverty (Urban and Rural) was relatively
Their special admissions program worked by reserving sixteen percent of the entering class for minorities. The minorities entering through this special admissions program were processed and interviewed separately from the regular applicants. The grade point averages and standardized test scores from the special-admissions entrants were significantly lower than the grade point averages and standardized test scores of the regular entrants, including our dear friend Allan Bakke.
In conclusion, the Academic Achievement has been fueled by society's presets, minority students' lack of effort, and the failures of the schooling system in America. There has been some challenging setbacks, but the Gap can be fixed to create a common ground for all prospective members of America's society to excel on equally. By realizing that change can be achieved, there are little to no limits for minority students to create a better mindset towards education. Students, parents, and teachers have to be willing to work together, as well as tackle obstacles upheld by society, and the economic deficiencies that effect schools across America. This will, in turn, take America one step closer to closing the Academic Achievement Gap in America.
Board of Education outlawed educational segregation, the Illinois School District had created a completely different gifted program for Hispanic students, separate from the White students’ gifted program. Ford found that in 2009 and 2001, the RDCI (The Relative Difference in Composition Index) researched and concluded “at least one half million African American and Hispanic students combined are not identified as gifted” (Ford 145). While African American Students are rising to be the majority race in public education, the percentage of African Americans even being recognized as gifted or academically accelerated, is not proportionally increasing (Ford). Society hold precedents with people who have superior intelligence over those who do not, but how can superiority even be concluded when all people are not given the opportunity to have an enriching education? African Americans are not able to increase their percentage of gifted students because African American students are not given the chance to be even recognized as worthy or capable of such achievements. As society advances further academically and leaves African Americans with an unquail education, the percentage of African Americans attending college and entering professional careers
In 2001 statistics reported by the United States Department of Education indicated that during 1997-1998 African American students received 8.3% of bachelor’s degrees awarded. Concurrently, Hispanic students as well as Asian or Pacific Islander students received 6.0%, while American Indian/Alaskan Native students only accounted for .7%. Although statistics from agencies who report differ, clearly on a national level, minority students
A longstanding national issue that continues to concern the public is the disproportionate representation of children from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds in special education. The fact is that the proportion of minority students in the population of school-age children has risen dramatically to over 35%, which is increasing the diversity of students in many public schools throughout the nation. This makes the phenomenon of disproportionality especially troubling. With a growing population of minority children comprising a greater percentage of public school students, we must be responsive to the growing needs of an increasingly diverse society. The overrepresentation of minority students in special education has been posed as an issue for more than 3 decades, but it is worth asking whether the efforts of legislative actions, educational reforms and legal challenges have really made improvements to this issue. More importantly, disproportionality should be examined as a correlation to underlying conditions that can pose a great effect upon not only the quality of a child’s education, but also ______.
The achievement gap is defined as the disparity between the performance groups of students, especially groups defined by gender, race/ethnicity, ability and socio-economic status. The achievement gap can be observed through a variety of measures including standardized test scores, grade point averages, drop out rates, college enrollment and completion rates. The Black-White achievement gap is a critical issue in modern society’s education system. Although data surrounding the issue clearly indicates that the racial performance gap exists in areas of standardized tests, graduation rates, dropout rates, and enrollment in continuing education, the causative reasons for the gap are ambiguous—therefore presenting a significant challenge in regard to the most effective way to close the gap. The gap appears before children enter kindergarten and it persists into adulthood (Jencks 1998). Since 1970, the gap has decreased about 40 percent, but has steadily grown since. Theories suggest the Black-White achievement gap is created by a multitude of social, cultural, and economic factors as well as educational opportunities and/or learning experiences. Factors such as biased testing, discrimination by teachers, test anxiety among black students, disparities between blacks and whites in income or family structure, and genetic and cultural differences between blacks and whites have all been evaluated as explanations for the Black-White achievement gap (Farkas 2004). The research that follows will elaborate on these factors as they affect the decline in academic performance of black males—particularly the literacy achievement of black males.
Special education is a large part of the education system, which includes the mentally retarded, people with learning disabilities, the emotionally disturbed, hearing impaired, visually impaired, etc. Many people fail to include this system as one that can possibly involve discrimination, but those enrolled in special education has increased among all racial classifications. Between 1980 and 1990, the entire population enlisted in special education has increased. European American increased by 6%, African Americans increased by 13%, Hispanic Americans increased by 53%, and Asian Americans/Pacific Americans increased by 107.8% (Ford, Obiakor, p. 8). In the end, it is these students who ultimately experience low rates of employment, low income, and growing rates of incarceration. Another survey indicates t...
A minority student is generally classified as belonging to a lower-income family than the average white American, who is classified by earning a higher income. A student belonging to a low-income family will not have the same opportunities as a student from a high-income background. A student from a high-income family will be able to afford more study aids and supplies. A student from a low-income family, generally a minority, does not have access to these resources. Because they frequently cannot afford the same materials as their white counterparts, they generally do not perform as strongly on standardized tests. Wealthy families are generally very well educated. They have greater knowledge of how to guide their children in the right direction for academic success. Some can afford a private school with better teachers and a more comfortable learning environment. Paying for college is easier, and academics often take greater priority in these well-to-do households. Usually, poorer families have a harder time paying for college and supporting their children. Schools in low-income areas tend to lack funding for good teachers and supplies because of their financial situation. More often than not, the main goal of these families is to have their children get through high school so that they can begin ea...
My personal philosophy of special education drives not from teaching in the field, but from, observations, and personal experience, and the workshops I attended. I have had the opportunity to work with individuals with special needs in many different settings, all this help cultivate my knowledge in handling the needs of the special needed student. Special needs students have the ability to learn, to function, to grow, and most importantly to succeed. The difference comes into how they learn or how they need to be taught. There are as many beliefs about the "hows" as there are teachers and each of us forms our own philosophy through our experiences and research. As a student in a special education teachers’ program, learners with special needs includes all students in special education programs in the public school system or other appropriate settings. However, the students I would like to focus on in my career are students with learning disabilities and therefore when thinking about learners with special needs, my mind focuses on this population.
Most minorities are not presented with the equal opportunities. Socioeconomic status and race have a direct correlation; generally, minorities have lower socioeconomic backgrounds, so they are presented with fewer chances to succeed. This factor is commonly identified within the education system. Those individuals who live in inferior neighborhoods are given a mediocre education, which in turn makes it difficult to progress in society because they lack critical skills needed to obtain a decent job or succeed in higher educational institutions. The fact that the mindsets of people have not progressed since affirmative action was presented, also shows that there is a continued need to help disadvantaged individuals with
Disproportionate identification of minority students in special education is a major concern in schools today. This paper describes the issues in the assessment process with minority students and how we have arrived at a situation where minorities are being misdiagnosed into special education programs. Additionally, several legal cases are mentioned which show numerous actions and rulings that have tried to correct the disproportionate identification in special education. Some of the legal cases discussed include Larry P. v Riles, Diana v. State Board of Education, and Guadalupe v. Tempe Elementary School, which all significantly impacted special education today. Additionally, the Individual with Disabilities Education Act has enforced that minority groups must receive an equal education in the least restrictive environment possible. It is our duty as teachers and citizens to abide by these laws and find different ways to assess and correct the disproportionality of minority groups that exists today.
Today, the United States is still a racially segregated society. Getting into college is the first step in a student’s postsecondary educational journey, an academically strong start in college is the second because grades can either expand or limit opportunities for successfully completing a college degree . College students face many obstacles throughout their pursuit of higher education. Racial Segregation can affect college academic performance in a variety of ways. Segregation represents a major structural feature influencing success in college. Segregation experienced in childhood can influence later academic performance through a rage of channels. Segregation has other, more contemporaneous influences on academic performance. Massey
Anderson, K.A., & Camelia, I.S. (2009). The effects of school-based curricula on reading achievement of African American males in special education. The Journal of Negro Education, 78(3), 1-15.
What's more, the study concluded that when a black student has a black teacher, the student is three times more likely to be enrolled into gifted programs. And this brings their statistics up to par with white students with similar characteristics. White students have a same race teacher 95 percent of their student career while black students have a same race teacher only 22 percent of the time. These startling statistics reveal a deeply troubling issue; our black students are being classified by teachers that can't, or choose not to, relate to them or vouch for them.
Palardy, G., and R. Rumberger. Does Desegregation Matter?: The of Social Composition on Academic Achievement in Southern High Schools. N.p.: University of North Carolina, 2005. Print.