Voices from the Margin: A Qualitative Study on the Perspectives of Economically Disadvantaged, Black Students Identified as Learning Disabled

<p>This study explores the perspectives of four economically disadvantaged, Black students who have been labeled as learning disabled and placed in the Special Education program. The voices of the students interviewed are used to develop unique, first-hand understandings of the cause of disproportionality among poor, Black children in Special Education with a learning dis/ability. Results from the data collected through individual and group interviews suggest that students do not regard themselves as dis/abled as they find themselves capable of learning and executing non-academic tasks that relate to their lived reality. Therefore, I argue that a historical, and therefore systemic, devaluation of the culture of poor, Black children has led many students to be erroneously viewed and classified as incapable by the American Education System.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education in Special Education - General Curriculum (Ed.D)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Year

2019

Author dc:creator

• Duncan, Nadine

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Natasha Thornton
• Dr. Nihal Khote

• Critical Race Theory
• Special Education
• disproportionality
• African-American
• Black
• Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy
• Special Education and Teaching

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/speceddoc_etd/5

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu:speceddoc_etd-1005