Minorities and Special Education Essay - 2250 Words

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†¦show more content†¦In saying so, creating new ways of referring students, analyzing differences among minority groups and improving assessment processes can drastically benefit minority students in special education today. The United States is an extremely diverse country and within our schools there is vast diversity when it comes to minority students, students with learning disabilities, special education students and the perceived â€Å"normal† students. Students come from many different backgrounds, communities, families and social classes. Thus, these students bring many emotional, physical and psychological issues into the classroom that greatly affects they way they learn, think and complete assignments and tests. So, is it the teacher and administrator’s right to poorly assess these students when these factors are not taken into consideration? One of the leading causes of disproportionate identification in special education is the school and teachers themselves. Minority students are more likely to attend urban, inner city schools where many of the teachers are not as experienced when dealing with racially and ethnically diverse classrooms (Donovan Cross, 2002). 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