Last week, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released their Civil Rights Data Collection for the 2009-2010 school year. The data is disaggregated by race and ethnicity, English learner status, sex and by disability under the IDEA and Section 504 statues, focusing on areas such as success in college and career-ready courses, teacher equity, retention, bullying and harassment and discipline.
The numbers presented demonstrate inequalities in the American public school systems, pointing out that students covered under IDEA and Section 504 are twice as likely to face out of school suspension. Additionally, though students covered under IDEA represent 12% of the students in the sample, they represent almost 70% of students who are physically restrained by adults in their schools. The report also highlights statistics that show that over three fourths of students in Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs are either white or Asian, while African American students are disproportionately under represented.
To read the full summary of the OCR data, click here.
The inequalities are fascinating and saddening. Teachers need more training in how to effectively service students with disabilities.
The GT stats prove that there is an achievement gap. We as educators need to change how we interact with students to promote achievement for all students.
Posted by: Kate Champlin | 04/03/2012 at 03:23 PM