Harvard Education Publishing Group-Harvard Education Press

 

 

Racial Inequity in Special Education

Edited by Daniel J. Losen and Gary Orfield
Foreword by Senator James M. Jeffords

Praise for Racial Inequity in Special Education

"Racial Inequity in Special Education provides important direction, for those of us in Congress and for those in our schools. The authors show us where we need to do better to ensure equal educational opportunities for all of our students, whatever their race or socioeconomic status. Where school leadership fails to address those issues that have an adverse impact on children of color and children with disabilities, we must bolster our efforts to protect every child's civil rights."
—from the foreword by U.S. Senator James Jeffords (I-VT)

"The findings of Racial Inequity in Special Education indicate a trend with chilling implications for our education system. The overidentification of minority students in special education and the subsequent isolation, stigmatization, and inferior treatment they receive reconfirms the notion that education in America falls short of offering a level playing field for all. By compiling this body of valuable scholarship, Losen and Orfield have unearthed the contours of the problem as well as promising blueprints for resolving it."
—U.S. Representative Chaka Fattah (D-PA)

"Meant to address the special needs of children with disabilities, federal and state special education laws have produced troubling racial results. This book's vital evidence and thoughtful recommendations can restore the vision of equality that should guide appropriate schooling for all children."
—Martha Minow
Professor of Law, Harvard University

"Recommended for academic collections."
—Library Journal

About
Racial Inequity
Table of Contents
Publishing Information

Order Racial Inequity

About Racial Inequity in Special Education

Racial inequities pervade special education in U.S. schools today. Minority children-especially African Americans-are far more likely than white children to be designated mentally retarded or emotionally disturbed and therefore in need of special education. Even when appropriately placed in special education classes, minority children often receive poorer services than disabled white children.

This book explores the inequities experienced by minority schoolchildren in special education. These issues are examined as problems in their own right, and as reflections of persistent racial inequities in our system of public education. Racial Inequity in Special Education describes the scope of these problems, and provides a comprehensive review of attempts by legislators, child advocates, and educational and civil rights enforcement agencies to address these complex issues. The authors outline essential areas for further research and dialogue.

An illuminating account of a widespread problem that has received little attention until now, Racial Inequity in Special Education sets the stage for a more fruitful discussion about special education and racial justice-a discussion that aims to advance racial equity in both special and general education.

Published by The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University and the Harvard Education Press

Back to top

Table of Contents for Racial Inequity in Special Education

Foreword
Senator James M. Jeffords

Introduction
Daniel J. Losen and Gary Orfield

Community and School Predictors of Overrepresentation of Minority Children in Special Education
Donald P. Oswald, Martha J. Coutinho, and Al M. Best

Racial Disparities in the Identification, Funding, and Provision of Special Education
Thomas Parrish

Double Jeopardy: An Exploration of Restrictiveness and Race in Special Education
Edward Garcia Fierros and James W. Conroy

Of Rocks and Soft Places: Using Qualitative Methods to Investigate Disproportionality
Beth Harry, Janette K. Klingner, Keith M. Sturges, and Robert Moore

Schools Make a Difference: The Overrepresentation of African American Youth in Special Education and the Juvenile Justice System
David Osher, Darren Woodruff, and Anthony E. Sims

English-Language Learner Representation in Special Education in California Urban School Districts
Alfredo J. Artiles, Robert Rueda, Jesús José Salazar, and Ignacio Higareda

Disability, Race, and High-Stakes Testing of Students
Jay P. Heubert

Legal Challenges to Inappropriate and Inadequate Special Education for Minority Children
Daniel J. Losen and Kevin G. Welner

Evaluating the Office for Civil Rights' Minority and Special Education Project
Theresa Glennon

IDEA and Disproportionality: Federal Enforcement, Effective Advocacy, and Strategies for Change
Thomas Hehir

Ending Segregation of Chicago's Students with Disabilities: Implications of the Corey H. Lawsuit
Sharon Weitzman Soltman and Donald R. Moore

Back to top

Publishing Information

Racial Inequity in Special Education
Edited by Daniel J. Losen and Gary Orfield
Foreword by Senator James M. Jeffords
Published by The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University and the Harvard Education Press
© 2002
ISBN 1-891792-04-0 $28.95 paperback, ORDER
336 pp.

Back to top

 

Harvard Education Publishing Group

Publishers of Harvard Educational Review, Harvard Education Letter and Harvard Education Press books
Harvard Graduate School of Education | Harvard University
Contact us at: 8 Story Street, 1st Floor, Cambridge, MA USA 02138
Phone: 617-495-3432 | Fax: 617-496-3584 | Email: hepg@harvard.edu

To place a book order call: 1-888-437-1437 or fax an order to 1-978-348-1233.

HEPG Permissions Policy | HGSE Publishing Policies and Disclaimers
Last updated: February 24, 2006 | Questions or comments about the site: hepg@harvard.edu
Copyright © 1996-2006 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College