Disproportionality among African American Students at the Secondary Level: Examining the MID Disability Category

Abstract

Concern and research involving the overrepresentation of African American students in the category of mild intellectual disability (MID) has existed for over four decades. Yet, little research focuses exclusively on the disproportionate representation of African American students at the secondary level. This study analyzed the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) data using composition index and relative risk ratio approaches to explore the proportion of African American students in the disability category of MID at the secondary level. Additionally, logistic regression analyses were used to examine whether ethnicity predicted the likelihood of a student being identified as MID. African American students were overrepresented in the disability category of MID and logistic regression results indicated ethnicity predicted the likelihood of students having MID.