Dissertation Proposal Announcement Ed.D. Program: Sharlene Pinto “Exploring Potential Under/Over-identification and Disproportionality: A Mixed Methods Case Study of Child Study Team Influences, Beliefs, and Practices in Processing PK and K-12 Special Education Referrals in a NJ Public School District”
Causes of under/over-identification and disproportionality in Special Education are often debated and misunderstood. However, there is confirmed underrepresentation of minoritized students in PK Special Education and historically acknowledged overrepresentation in K-12 Special Education nationwide. However, most related studies have focused on the causes and consequences without exploring identification patterns or eligibility decision making processes for Special Education. This study is a mixed methods case study design to analyze the identification patterns over the past five years in a New Jersey public school district along with the influences, beliefs, and practices of Child Study Team (CST) members who are responsible for making decisions. District data including overall demographics and those specific to students served by Special Education will be analyzed. Furthermore, CST members will be interviewed and observed, and artifacts will be reviewed. The results will be analyzed through an integrative theoretical framework (i.e., culturally responsive practices, environmental impact, social construct theories) lens to objectively conceptualize the results in an attempt to uncover the layered factors to prevent oversimplification of eligibility decisions.
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