Achievement gap, special ed linked

Originally published in the Plain Dealer (Cleveland) on November 28, 2004

Copyright 2004 Plain Dealer Publishing Co. Achievement gap, special ed linked


By: Chris Sheridan

Buried within a new report on black male graduation rates is a key explanation of the phenomenon.

The Schott Foundation for Public Education, led by former Columbus Superintendent Rosa Smith, has issued a state-by-state report card regarding the percentage of black males who earn high school diplomas. Ohio's statewide graduation rate for black males is 36 percent, less than half the 73 percent rate posted by white males. In the way Schott calculates its "inequity index," the Buckeye state is tied with Montana for the seventh-worst ranking in the country.

Never fear, Ohio does lead decisively in another category. Two of the state's largest districts are tied for the nation's lowest graduation rate for black males. In both Cleveland and Cincinnati, the figure is 19 percent.

Within the report's dozens of charts and tables, however, are more specific and illustrative data. On the Ohio page, for example, the foundation considers Cleveland's record for disciplinary action and special education placements. In the former, black male students account for 36 percent of school enrollment, but 67 percent of expulsions. In the latter, black males account for 46 percent of students identified as mentally retarded, 64 percent of those labeled mentally disturbed, and 46 percent of those diagnosed with a specific learning disability.

The data will not surprise anyone who has followed the issue of overrepresentation of minority students in special education in recent years. The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, for example, notes that black students total 17 percent of total enrollment nationwide, but 33 percent of those labeled mentally retarded.

And a presidential commission on special education finds that of all students, those with disabilities drop out at twice the rate of their peers.

In other words, children in special education are more likely to drop out, and black males are far more likely to be in special education. No wonder their graduation rates so badly trail their peers.

Before reactionaries cry racism, keep in mind that a few objective factors play a part in this pattern. More than 11 percent of black children are found to have elevated lead levels in their blood, according to a 2002 report by the National Research Council, as compared to just 1 percent for white youths. In addition, the rate of low-birth-weight black infants is more than twice that of white children.

That's the bad news. The good news is that research shows that intensive, intelligent interventions can make a huge difference in students' achievement. Last week's column already covered the stirring impact of strong preschool programs, and there are more benefits to be had in early elementary grades. A study from Johns Hopkins University, for example, found that its program cut special education placements by half. Other studies have indicated that up to 40 percent of those receiving special education services are there simply because they haven't learned to read -- and, it's safe to say, a hefty portion of them simply haven't had effective instruction.

So, what's to be done in Ohio and elsewhere? The massive special education reauthorization Congress passed this month

includes provisions aimed directly at this problem. It requires districts with "significant overidentification" of minority students to launch early intervention programs, identify learning issues early and increase use of "positive behavioral interventions."

Translation for that last point: Students in early-grade classes that are poorly managed tend to struggle with behavior problems later on. And, it seems, oftentimes a student with behavior problems is not truly disabled, but rather in need of other kinds of assistance.

Will these requirements actually change disparities that have existed for decades? Don't bet on it. One federal report issued during the reauthorization process found that every state in the nation was out of compliance in some way (or many ways) with federal law. Another, issued this fall, found compliance issues in all but one of the states examined -- with more than half of the problems involving direct services to kids (the others involved procedural issues). Worse, the report found, most of those problems remained unresolved for two to seven years after identification.

What do these findings mean? Ohio -- and Cleveland -- cannot wait for the feds to fix special education for minority students. If change is to happen, it must start locally. State Superintendent Susan Tave Zelman and Cleveland schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett both must explain their numbers, and outline the steps they'll take to change them.

These trends have continued too long. It's time for education leaders to change their direction.