Racial and Ethnic Disparities in School-Based Disability Identification

Abstract

Whether racial and ethnic disparities in disability identification are currently occurring across elementary school is unclear. We analyzed the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class of 2010–2011 (N = 15,140) using discrete-time event history models with time-invariant and time-varying covariates. Black (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.45) and Hispanic (aOR = 0.43) students were less likely than similarly situated White students to be identified with disabilities including across specific conditions. Students from non-English-speaking households also were less likely to be identified (aOR = 0.56). Students who are racial, ethnic, and language minorities continue to be less likely to be identified as having disabilities across elementary school.

Keywords

correlational analysis demography disparities elementary schools human development longitudinal studies minorities regression analyses school psychology special education survey research

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