Date of Award
Spring 2020
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership (Ed.D)
Department
Educational Leadership
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Dr. Tristan Glenn
Committee Chair
Dr. Ann M. Bennett
Second Committee Member
Dr. Brian Lawler
Abstract
If you walk into any special education classroom in America, you will see that Black students are overrepresented. The issue of disproportionality of Black students in special education has been a longstanding concern. Although students can be referred to special education through parent request, students are most likely referred by their general education teacher. The referral requirements for students with emotional disabilities or learning disabilities can be subjective to the beliefs of the referral teacher, as the U.S. Department of Education does not outline the definition of “teacher referral”. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore whether teacher perceptions of race and culture, as well as social media interactions, have possible implications on the disproportionate ratio of Black students in special education. This case study utilized Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Gloria Ladson-Billings’ (2009) Matrix of Behaviors Toward Academically At-Risk Students. Snowball sampling was used to select six White general education teachers from the state of Georgia who were interviewed and responded to a social media post that served as a simulated social media interaction. CRT was used to analyze and code the transcripts and to determine any patterns in the teachers’ perceptions of cultural differences and race as it relates to Black students referred to special education. The implications of this study could lead to the development of ongoing cultural and diversity training and ultimately result in contributing to our understanding of why Black students are overrepresented in special education. The implications could also lead to improved educational environments for marginalized students through a more consistent method of student referrals.