Erased: A Critical Analysis of the Racialized Discourse of Research on Exclusionary Discipline in Special Education

• In Event: 15.061 - MTCC Roundtable Session Two
  In Roundtable Session: 15.061-1 - Special Education and (Dis)Ability at the Intersections

Abstract

This critical discourse analysis examines language in the construction of racialized meaning in research on exclusionary discipline for students who are identified as having disabilities. We examined how scholars in special education conceptualize and discuss race in relation to exclusionary discipline and disability. A systematic literature search for peer-reviewed publications from 19 special education journals (1997-present) resulted in 311 articles. We conducted a stratified purposeful sampling method with randomization to identify a sample of 50 articles. Results from our analysis demonstrate that scholars in special education research rely upon a complex practice of avoidance, choosing seemingly impartial language to omit race as a social construction from discussion of what some have dubbed the school-to-prison pipeline. Implications of erasure are discussed.

Authors

• Hyejung Kim, Texas A&M University - Commerce

• Audrey A. Trainor, New York University

• David E. Kirkland, New York University