Black children are less likely to be referred to disability services at school if they have a Black teacher, according to a new study. (Blind)
New research suggests that a child’s likelihood of being referred for special education services is greatly influenced by the race of his or her teacher.
Black teachers less likely to identify children for disability services, study finds study published this month in the American Educational Research Journal. Although the trend held for both white and black students, it was particularly pronounced for black children, especially if they are economically disadvantaged.
“It may be that black teachers interpret certain behaviors as simple inattention rather than a disability, or that black students respond to black teachers with more engagement,” said Constance Lindsay, assistant professor of educational leadership at the University of Carolina North in Chapel Hill. and author of the article.
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For the study, researchers analyzed administrative data from North Carolina elementary schools between the 2007-2008 and 2012-2013 school years. They found that the disparity in special education identification was especially strong in categories where there is more discretion, such as learning disabilities.
While special education can be valuable, there has long been concern that children from minority backgrounds are overrepresented in special education and researchers said it can be stigmatizing if students are inappropriately placed.
“Our results add to the growing evidence of why diversifying the teaching workforce is important to improving outcomes for students of all backgrounds,” said Cassandra Hart, a professor of education at the University of California, Davis, who worked on the study. “Beyond that, school districts may want to consider providing clear guidance to teachers about when they should urge disability screening, to minimize the role of teacher discretion in the identification process.”
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