Disproportionality is the over-representation of minority students identified with a learning disability or other type of disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). When a minority group’s numbers in special education are statistically higher than they should be, they are considered disproportionate.

Why Is Disproportionality a Problem?

When schools have higher numbers of certain ethnic or minority students enrolled in special education that they should have by statistical standards, it signals the possibility that some of the students may not be truly disabled and may have been incorrectly identified. There may also be under-representation of minorities in gifted education.

Causes

Disproportionality may be caused by:

Disproportionality is a problem because it can:

  • Failure to recognize and accommodate cultural differences among minority groups;
  • Use of inappropriate assessment strategies for English Language Learners and racial and ethnic minorities;
  • Failure to accommodate parents of students with Limited English Proficiency or language minorities; and
  • Lack of responsiveness to cultural and socioeconomic differences among children and their families.