Disproportionate Representation of African Americans with Exceptionalities

Abstract

The majority of school corporations across the nation have a disproportionate number of African American students with exceptionalities. Disproportionality means that a group within a category is being represented more or less than what would be expected from the proportions in the general population. Disproportionate in this case means there is a higher proportion of African American students in Special Education than there is in the general student population. The purpose of this study is to determine whether teacher attitudes or student self-sabotage play a role in the underrepresentation of African American students in Gifted/Talented programs and the overrepresentation of African American students in Special Education. Teachers completed surveys via Survey Monkey. The survey was not able to answer the question of why African Americans are overrepresented in Special Education and underrepresented in Gifted and Talented programs locally or nationally. This survey does not show a definitive answer to the question of whether African American students or their parents are choosing to not be included in Gifted and Talented programs or whether African American students are knowingly neglecting their education, however based on the teacher’s answers it appears that teachers feel that some students are choosing to avoid the G/T classes/curriculum/label. Also it appears many teachers feel G/T classes are not equally accessible to African American students and it seems that most teachers feel that attitude is crucial in both students and teachers in determining either G/T or special education.