Disproportionate Representation: One School's Solution

Disproportionate representation of minority populations in special education is a well-documented phenomenon. Using a phenomenological approach involving the voices of many stakeholders, the following study sought to examine the relationship between the prereferral process to special education and the perceptions, beliefs, and expectations of stakeholders involved in the decision making process. An instrumental case study was conducted at a racially diverse Midwestern elementary school. Findings suggest that disproportionate representation is greatly impacted by teachers' beliefs, perceptions, and expectations of race. An unconscious bias of teachers regarding racial stereotypes for African American, Latino/a, and Caucasian students as well as the use of a language of poverty used as a proxy for race, specifically for African American students, was identified.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Lowrey, Karen Alisa

Contributors dc:contributor

• Renzaglia, Adelle

• Education, Elementary

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3086126

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/79735