What can be done about the “Significant Disproportionality” of African-American students in SpEd

We wanted to call out one of Heather’s answer to the ASPED forum question about AUSD over-identifying African-America students and “significant disproportionality”. 

“If we find we are over-identified and all those students were accessed and received services and were identified because there is indeed a NEED and NOT some bias or lack of cultural understanding…. than I AM FINE WITH BEING OVER IDENTIFIED - because that is equity. All this will be sorted out in the CCEIS.

BUT what I AM NOT OK WITH is the language that the district is putting out on how they are going to “handle” this…..using the following language…

[This year, AUSD will defer 15 percent of the federal special education funds it receives to the general education budget to implement activities designed to prevent a student from being referred to an assessment for disability.]

This is not the business that we should be in, it is the complete opposite of what we want to have happening. Early identification and intervention is key and AUSD should be doing everything it can to promote early intervention.

The district is forced by the State to take 15 percent to address the issue - not to prevent actual assessments as it suggests.

Where the significant disproportionality also comes in is with the districts over use of DISCIPLINE of African American SpEd students. This area needs to be addressed and more indicative how bias plays out in our schools daily rather than assessments. Removing the pipeline to prison elements like SRO’s and implenting more restorative practices would help. Also training, GenEd teachers on the nuances of working with students with IEP’s and being more culturally responsive in their education practice would be a good use of the money being removed from the budget.

(AUSD REFERENCE) - https://alamedausd-ca.schoolloop.com/sigdisfaq