Standards Needed to Improve Identification of Racial and Ethnic Overrepresentation in Special Education

March 15, 2013
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed how states determine whether racial and ethnic minorities are overrepresented in school district special education programs. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act's (IDEA) Part B requires school districts with overrepresentations to devote 15% of IDEA allocations to funding early intervening services to correct the disparity. In this study, the GAO collected and reviewed data from 16 states, including their methods for identifying districts with overrepresentation, the types of services they provided to these districts, and the amount of oversight by the Department of Education and the state. The . . .