Centering Place and Space in Recurrent Citations for Racial Disproportionality in Special Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 4:15 pm - Gold 1
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Abstract

Section 618(d) of the IDEA requires states to examine data to determine if significant disproportionality based on race and ethnicity is occurring in the state and the local educational agencies (LEAs). Recent scholarship indicates that the unique contexts of LEAs cited for disproportionality relate to how IDEA is locally negotiated within district contexts. Our study expands on this research by investigating how space and place are implicated in recurring citations of disproportionality in districts in a diverse Midwestern state. We rely on a longitudinal dataset of 416 public districts for the 2010-2011 through 2021-2022 school years. Using the Anderson-Gill model, we find that segregation within districts was the strongest predictor of recurrent citations.

Authors

• Alexandra Aylward, University of Nevada - Reno

• Catherine Kramarczuk Voulgarides, Hunter College - CUNY