The Lamar University Electronic Journal of Student Research

Fall 2007

THREE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO AFRICAN

AMERICAN MALES BEING PLACED INTO SPECIAL
EDUCATION CLASSES: NATIONAL IMPLICATIONS

Alicia Sands
Teacher
Aldine Independent School District
Houston, Texas

Andalyn Sands
Teacher
Aldine Independent School District
Houston, Texas

William Allan Kritsonis, PhD

Professor and Faculty Mentor
PhD Program in Educational Leadership
The Whitlowe R. Green College of Education
Prairie View A&M University
Member of the Texas A&M University System
Visiting Lecturer (2005)
Oxford Round Table
University of Oxford, Oxford, England
Distinguished Alumnus (2004)
College of Education and Professional Studies
Central Washington University

Abstract

Almost daily African American males continue to be placed in special education

classes. The purpose of this article is to discuss the factors that cause them to be
placed into these classes. More specifically, the authors will present three major
factors that are being used to place African American males into Special Education.
 Introduction

In a time where emphasis is placed on diversity and the inclusion of minorities in

all aspects of educational life it is truly ironic that one aspect of school where minorities
are overly represented is a source of great controversy. While minority students by
definition do not make up the majority of students in general education, they make a
disproportionately large segment of special education students and are much more likely
to be placed in special education than their white counterparts (Simmons, Skiba, Poloni-
Staudinger, Gallini, & Feggins-Azziz, 2006). African American students are
overrepresented in restrictive educational environments and underrepresented in less
restrictive environments (Simmons, Skiba, Poloni-Staudinger, Gallini, & Feggins-Azziz,
2006). Minority students, particularly African American males, are being placed in
special education classes at alarming rates. Some of the reasons young African American
males end up being overly represented in special education classes are the ineffectiveness
of most school systems in recognizing the academic abilities and learning styles of
African American males, the cultural bias of standardized testing, and the economic and
social factors that greatly influence the environments that many African American males
grow up in. It is going to take an extensive period of time and a great amount of
researching before the problems of African American in classrooms can successfully be
dealt with.

Purpose of the Article

The purpose of this article is to discuss the factors that cause them to be placed
into these classes. More specifically, this article will go into detail about the three major
factors that are being used to place African American males into Special Education.

Factors Affecting African American Males’ Placement in Special Education

The first factor is that African American males learn and are intellectually
stimulated in ways that cannot be satisfied by the conventional learning environment.
Many African American students are field dependent learners. Field dependent learners
thrive in-group learning situations and need steady instruction and verbal direction to do
well academically. Patton states that the reason this can’t be done properly is because
special education is labeled borne by students and often serves as a stigma producing
negative effects on the bearer or the label and others interacting with the stigmatized
individual (1998). This discourages the student and causes him to act out to try and take
the negative attention off of him and to turn it into positive attention.
The second factor is that African American males are disciplined more often, i.e.
suspension detention, etc. than their white counterparts (Harry and Anderson, 1994).
While some may see this as a sign of the unruliness of the African American male, it can
also be seen as an indicator that many teachers and furthermore school systems are not
equipped to address the needs of African American males. This again points to the idea
that a field dependent is going to have trouble in an environment where he or she is
discouraged from talking or conferring with others, and is encouraged for working
independently. That type of environment does not suit a field dependent learner’s ability
to learn and creates an environment where or she is more likely to fail or be excluded.
When these African American students are excluded they are placed in special education
classes.
The third factor contributing to African American students being placed in special
education classes is poverty. Students are at a greater risk of being placed in special
education when they are poor, of a minority race, or speak a language other than English
(Obiakor and Utely, 1998). There are four assumptions that researchers Simmons, Skiba,
Poloni-Staudinger, Feggins-Azziz, & Chung believe are linked to poverty and
disproportionality (2005). These four assumptions are:

1) Minority students are disproportionately poor and hence are more likely to be
exposed to a variety of sociodemographic stressors associated with poverty.
2) Factors associated with living in poverty leave children less developmentally
ready for schooling and ultimately yield negative academic and behavioral
outcomes.
3) Students who are low achieving or at risk for negative behavioral outcomes are
more likely to be referred to, and ultimately found eligible for, special education
service.
4) Therefore, poverty in an important contributing factor that increases the risk,
presumably in a linear fashion, of special education placement for minority
students.

The results found that poverty affects individual school readiness. Community
poverty also reduces the resources available to schools in that community (Simmons,
Skiba, Poloni-Staudinger, Feggins-Azziz, & Chung 2005). These findings aid in the idea
that without school readiness students will not be up to par with their peers academically
and will have no choice but to be placed into special education classes. The fact that all
African American males are a part of a minority and that a large amount of them are poor
makes them statistically more likely to be placed in special education.

Concluding Remarks

In conclusion, African American males are being placed in special education

classes at a startling rate. While African American males are not immune from having
any type of disability that would cause them to be placed in special education they should
not be more susceptible to the disorders than any other racial or ethnic group. African
American males may learn differently, but it does not mean that they cannot learn and
that they cannot learn in a general education setting. It is up to educators and
administrators to salvage the educations of students that are being isolated and in many
cases losing their chances at a quality education in special education classrooms.
Educators must step up to make education comprehensive, challenging, and most of all,
inclusive.
 References

Harry B., & Anderson, M. (1994). The disproportionate placement of African

American males in special education programs: A critique of the process.
The Journal of Negro Education, 63, 602-619.
Patton, J. M. (1998). The disproportionate representation of African Americans in special
education: Looking behind the curtain for understanding and solutions. The
Journal of Special Education, 32(1), 25-31.
Simmons, A. B., Skiba R. J., Poloni-Staudinger L., Feggins-Azziz R., & Chung-Guen C.
(2005). Unproven links: Can poverty explain ethnic disproportionality in special
education? The Journal of Special Education, 39(3), 130-144.
Simmons A. B., Skiba R.J., Poloni-Staudinger L., Gallini S., & Feggins-Azziz, R.
(2006). Disparate access: The disproportionality of African America students with
disabilities across educational environments. Council for Exceptional Children,
72(4), 411-424.
Utely, C. & Obiakor F. (1998). Addressing diversity in special education research.
Retrieved July 5, 2007, from http://library.educationworld.net/a11/a11-146.html

Formatted by Dr. Mary Alice Kritsonis, National Research and Manuscript Preparation
Editor, National FORUM Journals, Houston, Texas. www.nationalforum.com