Do General Education Kindergarten Teachers Refer Younger Children to Special Education More Frequently?

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Abstract

Kindergarteners in the same classroom can be nearly one year apart in age. Unfortunately, no research has examined the extent to which teachers’ disability evaluations of relatively young children are influenced by classroom age composition. This study aims to address these gaps in research by assessing the link between classroom age composition. Using Arkansas statewide data, we find that teachers’ total classroom referrals do not change as a result of age composition. On the other hand, the share of students referred within that total does change – it is directly affected by the proportion of young students in the classroom. Teacher experience moderates these findings.

Authors

• Tina L. Fletcher, Walton Family Foundation

• Vi-Nhuan Le, NORC at the University of Chicago

• Michael A. Gottfried, University of Pennsylvania

• Philip Kim, University of Pennsylvania