Remedial and Special Education · 2006 · 123 citations · 22 references
EducationSpecial EducationDifferentiated InstructionSpecial Education AdministrationSpecial Education PolicyDisproportionality In Special EducationPlacement DecisionsSpecial Educational NeedsConfidence Intervals For Odds RatiosPlacementSpecial Education Placement DisparitiesSpecial Education Program EvaluationSpecial Education QualitySpecial Education Referral Patterns
The study examined whether Instructional Consultation Teams reduce the disproportionate referral and placement of minority students into special education. Data on referral and placement patterns of minority students were collected from 13 IC Team schools and 9 comparison schools, and three disproportionality indices—risk, odds, and composition—were calculated for baseline and two years of implementation. After two years, IC Team schools showed significant reductions in risk, odds (nearly halved), and composition indices for minority student referrals and placements, indicating that quality classroom instructional practices can mitigate disproportionate special education placement.
The current study investigated the impact of implementing Instructional Consultation Teams (IC Teams) on the disproportionate referral and placement of minority students into special education. Data were collected on referral and placement patterns of minority students in 13 IC Teams schools and 9 comparison schools. Three accepted indices of disproportionality—including risk indexes, odds ratios, and composition indexes—were calculated and analyzed for the baseline and for 2 years of project implementation. After 2 years of implementation, there were significant decreases in the risk of minority students in IC Team project schools being referred to and placed in special education when compared to nonproject schools. Moreover, the odds of minority students' being referred and placed in special education decreased by almost half in IC Team schools. Similar decreases in IC Team schools were noted when analyzing the composition indexes. The current findings also highlight the influence that quality classroom instructional practices have on the referral and placement of minority students for special education services.
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