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- Keyword:
- disproportionality , elementary school teachers’ attitudes, minority students , special education, quantitative study, correlational study, descriptive study, and African-American males
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- Fanslau, Carly R.
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 11/22/2024
- Date Modified:
- 02/01/2025
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
-
- Description:
- In 2017–18, the number of learners ages 3–21 who received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was 7.0 million, or 14% of all public-school learners. Of that 7.0 million, 13% were Hispanic learners (NCES, 2019). Among ELLs with disabilities, nearly 50% had specific learning disability, and 21% with a disability were identified as having a speech or language impairment (USDOE, n.d.). School professionals erroneously refer ELLs to special education and once referred, the student has a greater than 50% chance of being identified as disabled (Becker & Deris, 2019). The purpose of this study is to understand how teacher perceptions and preparedness impact the referral rate of Hispanic ELLs into special education and related services. As the population of ELL/LEP/ESL increases, so does the number of possible incorrect referrals. This study was conducted through qualitative methodology, using targeted questions via questionnaire for middle-school teachers throughout New Jersey. The responses were used to determine patterns and themes of teacher experiences and perceptions in whether teachers feel they can distinguish between a language barrier and a learning disability. Findings indicated that teachers with less preparation and/or experience working with ELL/LEP/ESL students, special education students, or students with both a language barrier and a learning disability feel they are able to distinguish between a language barrier and a learning disability and would refer an ELL/LEP/ESL student to I&RS and/or Special Education regardless of legal disallowances.
- Keyword:
- ELL, Hispanic, language impairment, referral rate, special education, and teacher perception
- Subject:
- Educational Leadership
- Creator:
- Rosa, Francisca B.
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 09/21/2023
- Date Modified:
- 02/02/2024
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
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- Description:
- The disproportionality of Black male students is one of the most critical problems in special education within the U.S. (Skiba et al., 2006). This quantitative study aimed to examine how teachers' perceptions of classroom norms and professional development affect how they refer Black males to special education. The issue of disproportionality among Blacks in special education has been discussed in educational literature since the 1960s and continues to be a concern today. This study examined how teachers' perceptions of Black students' language, family history, behavior, cultural differences, and biases affect who they refer to as special education. Data were collected from kindergarten to high school teachers in a small suburban school district. Participants in the survey took the Gresham survey, which is divided into two sections. Part one's purpose was to gather information from teachers about the overrepresentation of Black males that are ultimately referred to special education, while section two's purpose was to collect demographic information on the survey participants. Their responses were then analyzed to determine the extent to which a teacher's perception of classroom norms and professional development affects who they refer to special education. This research provides an overall view of how teachers' perceptions and lack of professional development contribute to how they refer Black students to special education. In addition, this study highlighted the importance of professional development to ensure that teachers are aware of how their personal beliefs may affect their classroom decisions.
- Keyword:
- teachers' perceptions, Black male students , special education, educational literature, and Gresham survey
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- Pinto-Gomez, Diana C.
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 11/01/2022
- Date Modified:
- 02/07/2024
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation