Latino Students and Disproportionality in Special Education. Education Policy Brief. Volume 6, Number 2, Winter 2008

Ethnic minority student disproportionality in special education has been a national concern for several decades. Since the issue was first documented, evidence of disproportionality has been found at the national, state and district levels. The purpose of this briefing paper is to examine the representation of Latino students in special education. Data from both the national level and Indiana indicate that Latino students are in general under-represented in special education, primarily in Southeastern and Midwestern states, including Indiana. Similar to African American peers, Latino students have a higher risk of being placed in a more restrictive educational setting once identified for special education services. Efforts to increase time in the general education setting will prove to be an area of focus to ensure Latino students served in special education have access to least restrictive environments. Explanations for patterns of under-representation and the implications of these findings are still emerging and, based on the academic under-performance of Latino students, further investigation is recommended. (Contains 3 endnotes, 1 figure, and 4 tables.) [This policy brief was produced by the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy.]