Special Education Law and Disproportionality: Does Compliance Really Matter?

• In Event: Issues of Segregation and Disproportionality: Examining Patterns, Explanations, and Consequences

Abstract

The paper investigates the role of legal compliance to federal disability legislation when addressing racial/ethnic disproportionality in special education. It is a comparative ethnographic project that uses sociological organizational theory to view the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as an influential force on school district actions. The research focused on how school district leaders, working in districts that have been cited for disproportionality, comply with IDEA. Data analysis reveals that: the social context of a school district affects how equity based law is enacted; isomorphic organizational and legal pressures shape delivery of special education and greatly influence district leaders actions; and despite compliance to IDEA and the best intentions of district leaders, disproportionate outcomes persist.

Author

• Catherine Kramarczuk Voulgarides, New York University