Completed BBCSS Project

Committee on Minority Representation in Special Education

Publication: Minority Students in Special and Gifted Education

A committee of experts will undertake a comprehensive 2-year study of the disproportionate number of students from minority backgrounds placed in special education programs. The National Research Council first studied the issue of disproportionate placement in the early 1980s. Building on the 1982 NRC report, Placing Children In Special Education: A Strategy For Equity, the new committee will examine developments in law and practice over the past two decades. It will conduct a comprehensive synthesis of the literature, examine the available data, and explore the current policy context with regard to special education placements. In the course of its work, the committee will provide opportunities for interested groups to convey their views and pertinent information.