Browsing by Author "Beard, Wennifer"

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    PLACEMENT DISPARITIES AND EQUITABLE EDUCATIONAL ACCESS FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION: A QUALITATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS’ EXPERIENCES
    (2024-08) Beard, Wennifer
    African American Students with disabilities have been disproportionately represented in special education under the labels Intellectually Disabled (ID) and Emotionally Disturbed (ED) (Garwood & Carrero, 2022; Skrtic et al., 2021; Green et al., 2021; Artiles, 2019). As a result of these labels, African American students with disabilities have been placed in segregated environments. These placement disparities have put African American students in jeopardy, as they are more likely to receive inferior-quality education in a segregated environment (Artiles, 2011; Voulgarides & Aylward, 2022). One of the primary goals of a special education administrator is to ensure equity and inclusion for all students with disabilities. Despite this goal, African American students continue to be disproportionately represented in special education in the categories of ID and ED. This study aims to understand special education administrators in the Southern California Inland Empire, their self-perceived role in placement disparities, and their ability to provide equitable educational access to African American students in special education. The two theoretical frameworks that guide this study are Disability Critical Race Studies (DisCrit) and Transformative Leadership. These theoretical frameworks work simultaneously to provide an understanding of disparities and inequities in the school system. Qualitative methods were employed in this study, utilizing semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and document analysis to answer the research questions. The findings of this study revealed special education administrators’ self-perceived role in the placement disparities of African American students with disabilities and how they provide equitable educational access. The special education administrators in this study were aware of the disparities that African American students with disabilities experience, and they emphasized the use of data to overcome these disparities. Increased parental support and resources were revealed as a need. Recommendations included increasing special education administrators’ knowledge of programs and requirements in special education through professional development and administrators’ preparation programs. It is also recommended that districts develop a tiered system of support for students, such as a Response to Intervention (RTI) and a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS).