Special Populations In Education

The special education programs in the United States have been designed to help children with special needs learn easier and fit in better with the education program. Unfortunately, many minority students get caught up in the mix and don’t get the proper attention they deserve. Furthermore, minority students are seriously over-represented in the educational programs. Many minority students are misdiagnosed and put into special education programs when in fact; they do not have a learning disability. This has become a growing problem in this country because it is seen as the easy way out. Schools all over the U.S. are doing this in order to not have to properly test and evaluate students for learning problems.

Because of the stigma surrounding the intelligence of students in special education, many children are embarrassed when others find out about their curriculum. Oftentimes students receiving altered instruction have lower self-esteem and lower expectations for themselves because of how they are perceived. Even when they are fully mentally capable, people will treat them differently because of the circumstances in which they are educated. To most people with disabilities such as blindness, deafness, extreme dyslexia, and autism, it is offensive to be talked to like they aren’t capable of understanding- something that wouldn’t happen as much if we changed our view of what special education is and who exactly receives it.

The July 22, 2010 Examiner article The overrepresentation of African American students in special education, the author suggests “Atlanta public schools and the State of Georgia is not improving when it comes to the overrepresentation of African American students in special education” (Fanion, 2010). The headline “The overrepresentation of African American students in special education” implies that in 2010, African American students still are disproportionately placed in special education. “Data reported by the Georgia Department of Education demonstrates a silent epidemic is plaguing many metro Atlanta school districts. In some districts the disproportionate number of African American students identified as having emotional and

The problem of disproportionate numbers of minority students in special education can be attributed to a report by Lloyd Dunn in 1968 (as cited in Skiba et al., 2008) even though discrimination was evident long before that in America. The phenomenon of disproportionality as it relates to students from minority backgrounds being placed in special education refers to the percentage of students receiving services being a higher rate than is expected or that differs significantly from other races. Skiba et al. (2008) discuss the history of various aspects of the civil rights movement as they pertain to the issue of disproportionality of students from minority backgrounds in special education, the measurement tools used to determine the need for special education, the current status of disproportionality, and what factors have contributed to the discrepancies in numbers. Finally, recommendations are offered by the authors on how the existence of disproportionality of students from a minority background can be rectified.

Preparing regular education teachers to address the diverse needs of children with special needs in inclusive set up.

In England, it is a legal requirement under the EYFS for all early years settings to work with parents and other professionals to support children’s care, learning and development. Certain policies and procedures must be in place to protect children and for guidance.

In what type of school do you teach? (Type an “X” next to the appropriate description; if “other” applies, provide a brief description.)

Some students are subject to unequal representation at school, particularly those in a minority group. In the past, there were vast amounts of racial biases that spread across the United States. Unfortunately, racial bias still exists today, in the 21st century. There are those who feel that certain groups of people should not be given equal opportunities based on their skin color or how they may talk. They are not given the same opportunities as many others are given, and in this case, are assigned an impediment on their education. This paper will illustrate what disproportionality is; some factors that play a part in it; and what can be done and what is being done about it. This memo is being written in the hopes that it will be viewed by the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, and that he will see what has been happening over the years and do his best to provide more advances in making a change.

In education, the main goal is for all students to receive an equal and optimal opportunity for success, which also includes students with special needs. To ensure this aim is reached, schools ought to have measures in place to establish students who necessitate special education services to achieve and progress in their schooling. Contradictory to this idea, nonetheless, learners are inaccurately referred for special education placement. The process begins to become questionable when it happens recurrently and predominantly to one group of minority students, as is the case for African-American students. There is certainly a problem of disproportionality in special education population and creates a cause for concern and investigation. As stakeholders examine general education program practices, they will discover that there are many factors contributing to the overrepresentation of minorities in special education. The characteristics of educators having the greatest influence on their decision to refer African American students for special education are cultural differences, insufficient professional development, and poor general instruction.

“People of goodwill built the system we have today. People of goodwill can work together to build a better system going forward” (Freedman, 2012).

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

Special Education has gained most of the money over the years and the cost is increasing. Basic education is seeing less and less every year. With the combination of cost doubling and public schools not receiving much; schools need money. Even an obvious observation is higher class parents in the suburbs send their children to private schools because they believe this will give them a higher education and more resources. These resources and “better education tactics” take a lot of money from the parents. Schools do need to be integrated, but the integration will not cause disparity between the qualities of those schools. Gaining black children in a school has improved their academic achievement. The entrance of black children has not affected

Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan said "The undeniable truth is that the everyday educational experience for many students of color violates the principle of equity at the heart of the American promise. It is our collective duty to change that" (Ed.gov, 2012). This was in response to the U.S. Department of Education 's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) findings reporting that minority students across the U.S. face tougher discipline, have less access to rigorous high school curricula, and are more often taught by lower-paid and less experienced teachers. This inequality has been echoed on the field of special education where ethnic and racial disproportionality has been an issue

When I was asked to reflect on my experiences in EDSE 316 and the fieldwork, I had to think long and hard on how I would sum up four months of classes and fieldwork into four pages. I have learned so much about the various disabilities and how it has change the world of special education. I think a better term would be the “endless possibilities of education”. It wasn’t too long ago when children with disabilities would be stuck in a room in the back of school only to be seen in the beginning and end of the school day. They were the ones who rode the other buses and no one really talked about. This class has allowed me to speak of my own family and how special education impacted my life. I have a brother whose whole life was spent in the special education class, and my own sons with speech and learning disabilities who are now receiving special education services. It also allowed me to reflect on my own participation in the special education program in my early elementary years when I was struggling with my own speech disability. This class gave me the chance to see the timeline of special education, from its earliest beginnings to what it is now.

For thousands of years individuals with exceptionalities have been present in all parts of society across the world, especially those with physical or sensory characteristics. However, the way that these individuals have been viewed has changed dramatically. Originally these individuals were seen as ‘imbeciles,’ ‘worthless,’ and ‘a burden on society’ and were often shut away from ‘normal’ society or simply left to die or abandoned to institutions. Society has, however, created a positive change and started to exhibit a more humanitarian view and protective nature and developed a concern for the welfare of individuals with exceptionalities. The steadily changing view of society has paved the way to where today these individuals are now considered a part of an all-inclusive society where every citizen has value, merit and is capable of making a contribution to society.