School Socioeconomics Affect Special Education Placement
May 31, 2019
By: Linda Jacobson
Source: EducationDive
A student identified with a disability in one school won’t necessarily have that label in another school, according to a new study published in the journal Society and Mental Health that adds to the discussion on the over representation of students of color in special education programs.
Focusing on a sample of almost 379,000 students in a large urban district, co-authors Dara Shifrer, an assistant sociology professor at Portland State University in Oregon, and Rachel Fish, an assistant professor of special education at New York University, find the demographics of a school, the overall achievement levels of its students and teacher-student ratios can affect whether a student is identified for special education.