An examination of critical factors in the K-12 public school setting that contribute to the overrepresentation of African American males in special education

Abstract

The overrepresentation of African American males in special education emotional disorder programs has been one of the most problematic issues facing educators in recent years (Gollnick & Chinn, 2006). For over three decades both advocates and educators have been interested in the overrepresentation of African American males in special education (Dunn, 1968; Artiles & Trent, 1994; Gollnick, 2006; Losen & Orfield, 2002; Gresham, 2005). Artiles and Harry (2004) suggest that overrepresentation in special education placement is a problem when African American males are placed in special education classes when they do not have a disability. They also state that it is a problem if the placement in special education limits their opportunities for positive MISSING WORD. African American males are one and a half times more likely to be labeled as emotionally disturbed (ED) than other non-black students and are placed in special needs programs more frequently than their peers, both males and females (Coutinho & Oswald, 1998; Harry, 1994). Consequently, the overrepresentation and inappropriate placement of African American males is a cause for public concern. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of African American males in special education Emotional Disorder (ED) programs in the K-12 public school setting. First, this study will examine what the experiences are like for African American males who were placed in special education. Second, this study should lead to information on the type of service students receive. Third, the findings will inform teacher education programs as to the kinds of classrooms and training perspective teachers need to meet the needs of African American male students more effectively. Fourth, the findings will lead to further research studies on the experiences of African American males in special education programs. The participants for this study were 10 African American males placed in special education (eleventh and twelfth grade). In this study the researcher used a phenomenological study to examine what special education was like for African American male students. The interviews were administered in a school district in the south. The data were collected, coded, analyzed and discussed. The results of this study showed that African American males in special education ED programs want to go to college or professional school, their parents were misinformed (tricked), their teachers didn't care about them, the teachers had low expectations for the students and the teachers didn't understand their culture.