An Examination of Factors that Keep Black Boys Trapped in Special Education

Abstract

Section 300.5 of IDEA (2004) defines Students with Disabilities as those children who, because of their impairments, need special education and related services. Through the process of declassification, students previously identified as having a disability requiring special education services return to full-time general education programs. Rates of declassification are meager, and even lower for Black students (43rd Annual Report to Congress, 2021; Daley & Carlson, 2009). With few exceptions, there are a limited number of studies available to help us understand low declassification rates, specifically for Black students, who are less likely to be declassified compared to White children (Daley & Carlson, 2009). And, much of the research related to the concept of declassification emerged from follow-up studies conducted in the mid-1980s and early 1990s with students who received special education services but had left school (e.g., Hasazi, Gordon, & Roe, 1985). In addition, most studies of declassification address elementary school-aged children (e.g., Daley & Carlson, 2009).

There is thus a need to address high school aged as well. It is necessary to fill this scholarly gap by identifying factors contributing to the low declassification rates of Black boys with disabilities in high school. In response to these gaps, the purpose of this qualitative study was to (1) identify factors that contribute to the low declassification rates among Black students with disabilities from special education services and (2) to contribute to current gaps in the research literature on declassification rates and Black students. To do this, I conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews with eight individuals, including two special educators, two school psychologists, two related service providers, and two LEA-representatives. Findings identified included six factors that appear to contribute to low declassification rates: 1) Disability or Other Factors (2) Assessment Bias (3) Silence Behind Declassification (4) Perceptions Keeps Black Boys Trapped (5) Lack of Clear Declassification Process and an unexpected theme of (6) Personal Experiences with Race and Racism.