Resources Details

Students with Disabilities and Suspension Rates: A Cautionary Tale for School Districts (Article)

The authors examined the relationship among K-12 students and their attendance rates with a focus on EL students, students living in poverty, suspension rates and students with disabilities.

Student Engagement Online During School Facilities Closures: An Analysis of L.A. Unified Secondary Students’ Schoology Activity from March 16 to May 22, 2020 (WEBPAGE)

The data in this report prepared by the Los Angeles Unified School District provides evidence that 100% of the secondary students in LAUSD minimally accessed Schoology, the district's primary online course management system at least once during the first nine weeks of school closure. Data is provided that there were disparities in activities. Compared to more advantaged students, fewer middle and high school students who are Black, Hispanic, living in low-income households, classified as English Learners, have a disability, are in the District's homeless program or are in foster care participated across all measures of online activity. Report states that low participation may show lost learning, which could take students years to recoup. 

Strategies for Transitioning to an Inclusive School Environment (PDF)

This brief provides strategies, suggestions, and resources for schools to help families understand and become a vital part of the process.

Special Education Policy and Response to Intervention: Identifying Promises and Pitfalls to Advance Social Justice for Diverse Students (PDF)

This research article provides a brief overview of special education policy within the context of changing student demographics, with a focus on disproportionate identification for special education and inappropriate educational placement for diverse students. The article additionally provides an overview of the Response to Intervention (RTI) model.

Special Education Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity (WEBSITE)

This website allows users to quickly identify patterns of special education identification for students in California overall, and by individual counties throughout the state. Using multiple formats, it shows data disaggregated by race and ethnicity, disability category, and by multiple-year trends. Kidsdata.org: A Program of Lucille Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. 2016. Special Education Enrollment, by Race/Ethnicity. www.kidsdata.org (accessed April 17, 2018).

Solving Disproportionality and Achieving Equity: A Leader’s Guide to Using Data to Change Hearts and Minds (BOOK)

Through this work, the author hopes educators will identify what creates barriers for student success by analyzing data to help create pathways for schools to provide equitable service to all students. Included are tools for data collection and progress monitoring.

Social and Emotional Learning and Equity in School Discipline (ARTICLE)

In this article, esteemed scholars in equitable education Anne Gregory and Edward Fergus collaborate to investigate why focus on social-emotional learning does not ensure equity in school discipline.

Significant Disproportionality: For SEAs and LEAs

This brief two-page document outlines the fundamental aspects of significant disproportionality for State and Local Educational Agencies. According to IDEA Section 618, states are required to collect and examine data to identify significant disproportionality among the seven federally identified race and ethnicity categories in:

• Identification of children as having disabilities.
• Placement in less inclusive educational settings.
• Incidence, duration, and type of disciplinary actions, including suspensions and expulsions.

States use 98 separate calculations for each Local Education Agency (LEA) to determine the presence of significant disproportionality. These calculations must follow a standard methodology and analyze disparities based on race/ethnicity in identification, placement, and discipline.

Significant Disproportionality: For Families and Communities

This two-page document designed for family and community members articulates the value that the Office of Special Education Programs places on involving affected communities such as children with disabilities and their families, educators, education agency staff, researchers, policymakers, and advocacy groups in defining criteria for determining significant disproportionality. This ensures that families and community partners have a say in identifying Local Education Agencies (LEAs) with significant disproportionality. Additionally, addressing significant disproportionality requires a comprehensive examination of LEA policies, practices, and procedures, with families and community partners contributing to identifying the causes and solutions for disproportionality.

Significant Disproportionality Summit (Website)