Racial
gap persists in special education
Report: Jersey lags despite slight gains
Thursday, December 09, 2004 • BY JOHN MOONEY •
Star-Ledger Staff
Not only are minority students in New Jersey more likely
to be classified as disabled, but even within special
education they are far more likely than their white peers to
be placed in separate classes or schools entirely, according
to a new report.
The study by a panel of advocates for the disabled
called "Still Separate and Unequal" is a follow-up to the
same group's report 10 years ago that cited New Jersey's
woeful overall record at the time of placing special
education students into regular schools.
While that record has improved some, the advocates said
yesterday, the state still lags badly in several categories,
especially in sending students to outside schools, public
and private.
And maybe most alarming, they said, is the persistent
racial gap in how special education students are identified
and the disparity in where those students are schooled.
For instance, seven in 10 white students with
disabilities spend the vast majority of their school day in
a classroom alongside nondisabled students; only about one
in 10 black or Hispanic students do, according to the
report.
"Ten years ago, we were way out of whack in virtually
every area (of special education), and we have made some
progress," said Diana Autin, a member of the task force that
wrote the report for the New Jersey Council of Developmental
Disabilities.
"But the overrepresentation of minorities is an area
where there has really been no progress at all," said Autin,
co-director of the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network.
The numbers are not unique to New Jersey, as the high
number of minority students in special education has long
been a nationwide concern. New federal special education law
signed last week by President Bush called for the federal
and state governments to step up enforcement against
discriminatory practices.
Yesterday, state officials did not dispute the report's
findings, but stressed steps were already under way in New
Jersey to address the disparities and to bring more students
-- white and minority -- into mainstream classes where
research and the law itself say these students best
learn.
For the last four years, the state has identified about
33 districts with racial disparities and pressed them to
take steps to close the gaps, officials said.
"We did not wait for the federal government to take a
look at this problem," said Barbara Gantwerk, director the
state's special education office. "It is a serious problem,
and we have taken it on as an initiative and put that into
practice."
She said the reasons behind the disparities go beyond
just special education practices to the broader issues
surrounding the overall achievement gap among different
races in general education as well.
Advocates said the state's steps so far have been
insufficient, and the council called on acting Gov. Richard
Codey and the Office of Child Advocate to convene a task
force to specifically look at the racial disparities.
Aside from just the racial issues, much of yesterday's
report and its presentation at a Statehouse news conference
focused on the benefits of educating these students in
general education settings, known generically as
"inclusion."
New Jersey's record in that regard is mixed, the report
said. On one hand, the state has improved in the numbers
that spend at least part of their day in classes with
general education students.
But the percentage of students in full inclusion
settings still lags many states, and nearly 10 percent of
students are in separate settings altogether, three times
the national average.
Citing federal law and ongoing research that students
are best served in the "least restrictive environment," the
advocates again placed much of the blame on the state
Department of Education. They said it has not pressed
districts hard enough nor provided the needed training or
guidance for schools to educate these students within their
own walls.
State Education Commission William Librera last summer
imposed a moratorium on the opening of new private schools
for the disabled while his department could more closely
track the need and quality of the programs.
"At least they are acknowledging the steps needed to
address the problem," said Susan Richmond, deputy director
of the council. "But there has to be a commitment from the
top down to follow the law. The state has to be bold in
action, and the districts have to be held accountable if
they're not doing a good job."
But the complexity of the problem was reflected in the
several parents who attended the presentation yesterday, all
strong believers in inclusion but seeing disparate results
in their own schools.
Gail Dunn was successful in gaining the services and
support for her son to attend general education classes in
Montclair, no small feat in a district where she said just a
third of minority students with disabilities are in mostly
general education classrooms.
What helped her succeed where others didn't? "My anger,"
she answered. "Because I was persistent, because I cried,
because I was there all the time."
Yet others said they had less success, fighting
districts for needed help but eventually giving in and
adding to the number of children being educated out of
district.
Brenda Considine was one of the co-authors of the report
10 years ago and pressed hard for her oldest son to be
served in an inclusive setting. She said her family paid for
extra tutoring, she brought in experts, and was in the
school three or four days a week.
"But the district was really not able because of a lack
of training and expertise to create the kind of program he
needed," she said. "I worked very, very hard to keep him in,
and two years ago, I conceded and moved him to private
school. He's now thriving. ... It's an hour away, but he's
thriving."
John Mooney covers education. He can be reached at
jmooney@starledger.com, or (973) 392-1548.
© 2004 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with
permission.
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