The South: Educating a Growing Hispanic Population Essay

born children lived in poverty in the U.S. (Camarota, 2001). “The primary reason for this is that a very large share of Mexican immigrants lack a formal education” (Camarota, 2001, p. 47). Statistics from the Center for Immigration Studies indicate that the average income for adult Mexican immigrants is less than half the income of U.S. born workers (Camarota, 2001). With the location of the Rio Grande Valley right next to the Mexican border, the school districts in this area are heavily populated with English language learners. According to Linn and Hemmer (2011), a rate of “21% of elementary and secondary students spoke a language other than English at home. Of these, approximately two million, or 75%, spoke Spanish.” (p. 1). In addition, school districts along the Texas-Mexico border are considered at-risk for having English language learners overrepresented in the special education programs. According to Artiles and Ortiz (2002), research shows that “English language learners with the least amount of language support are most likely to be referred to special education” (p. 1). Often the children with the least support are from poor families. Another problems consists of assessments methods, both diagnostic and state mandated, that are inappropriate for English language learners. Even if assessments are provided in the child’s native language, this

This paper focuses on the overrepresentation or over-identification of minority students found in special education in our schools. I chose to research this topic because being an immigrant myself, I can relate to the education experience of a student who is new to the American school system.

Education is the key to individual opportunity, the strength of our economy, and the vitality of our democracy. In the 21st century, this nation cannot afford to leave anyone behind. While the academic achievement and educational attainment of Hispanic Americans has been moving in the right direction, untenable gaps still exist between Hispanic students and their counterparts in the areas of early childhood education, learning English, academic achievement, and high school and college completion.

Special education students are delayed in there learning process. To resolve the gap in learning abilities Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) obliges by law that all public schools to create an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for every child that receives special educational services. IDEA inspires to create an effective relationship amongst the parents and school that boost an educational team with the goals of providing the student with proper services (Mueller, 2009). In Each IEP meeting it involves the IEP team, IEP sections that addresses the student with disabilities educational progress.

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.

By the end of the 2008 school year, the number of Latinos will increase to nine million (Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, 2003). Consequently, the rate of Latino students in special education has also increased. For example, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs reported that 14.6% of Latino students aged 6 to 21 years of age received services under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (U.S. Department of Education, 2005). Furthermore, 6% of the Latino students in special education with ages ranging between 6 to 21 have a learning disability (NCES, 2007).

When one thinks about Hispanics, all too often the image of a field full of migrant workers picking fruit or vegetables in the hot sun comes to mind. This has become the stereotypical picture of a people whose determination and character are as strong or stronger than that of the Polish, Jewish, Greek, or Italian who arrived in the United States in the early 1900's. Then, the center of the new beginning for each immigrant family was an education. An education was the "ladder by which the children of immigrants climbed out of poverty into the mainstream." (Calderon & Slavin, 2001, p. iv) That ideal has not changed, as the Hispanic population has grown in the United States to large numbers very quickly and with little fanfare. Now, the

The Hispanic population is one of the fastest-growing minority populations in the United States. Despite their growing number and the great strides taken to narrow the academic gap, students learning English as a second language remain among the most educationally disadvantaged groups in the country. Madrid states that, “poor academic achievement of Latino students is indicative of a complex, multifaceted problem that must be addressed because as the Latino student population continues to grow, their poor achievement especially in mathematics and reading has significant implications not only for California’s public educational system, but also for the state’s and nation’s social, political, and economic future.”(2011). Schools across the country, both those that have served Hispanic students for many years and those that have new and growing populations, must take steps to improve the likelihood that Hispanic students reach the same high standards expected of all students.

Education is a very complex and evolving process. Today, teaching entails educating a diverse population according to their unique individual needs. Schools are comprised of individuals with different races, beliefs, cultures, values, languages, social statues, etc. While considering both the historical and preset-day issues, I am able to see many parallels between racial integration in schools and integration of students with disabilities.

“Where inability to speak and understand the English language excludes national origin minority-group children from effective participation in the educational program offered by a school district, the district must take affirmative steps to rectify the language deficiency in order to open its instructional program to these students.” (Smith, 1990)

Racial discrimination among Hispanics in the United States is on the rise along with stricter immigration laws, inadequate education for ESL classes, as well as they are prey to healthcare disparities. Data shows that many states in the United States are implementing tougher immigration laws for their individual states. Also, due to education cuts and kick-backs, English as a second language classes are becoming fewer in many school districts. Finally, health care disparities among Hispanics are on the rise due to lack of insurance, language barriers, and not enough medical resources to meet their needs.

Furthermore, the government has also lacked on providing support to Latinos by denying or diminishing educational opportunities, opportunities that have been offered to other ethnic groups. The government has not only limited the possibilities of Latinos to achieve a higher education but has also made it difficult for Latinos to escalate at a at a higher pace towards their dream career. In the Book, The Politics of Hispanic Education: Un Paso

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

The idea of children with disabilities, whether they be mild or severe has been a very controversial and misunderstood topic. In the past inclusion has brought about huge changes for not only the students, but also the parents and families of these children, and staff at schools. Teachers and education professionals were the first to really feel the wrath and intimidation of this dramatic shift in education. There were several different factors that were coming about that made it very difficult for schools and teachers, the unorganized mandates were strict and didn’t allow much time for change. “President Gerald Ford signed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) into law in 1975. Since the original passage of the EAHCA, the law has been amended four times and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)” (Conroy, Yell, Katsiyannis, & Collins, 2010, para.1).

I am a first grade Dual Language Spanish teacher in an urban district in the state of Connecticut. I teach Language Arts, Math, Science and Social studies in Spanish to my 23 homeroom students, 10 boys and 13 girls, and teach Spanish as a second language to 24 students that are in my Dual Language English partner’s classroom. In my homeroom more than half of the students are English Language Learners, and for many of them this is their first year in an American school. I also have 5 students with special needs. In my Spanish as a second language class I have English Language Learners, but there are no students with special needs.