By: Joy Ndamukunda
Modern-Day Segregation? Hispanic, Limited English Proficient (LEP), Students are disproportionetly labeled as having learning disabilities in the Houston Indepedent School District.
Just like with African American Students, Hispanics Students are disproportionate labeling as having learning disabilities as well in the Houston Independent School District. Especially when they are limited English proficient or LEP.
It is critical to emphasize that the degree of English proficiency of Hispanic students is closely connected to the possibility that they would be classified as needing special education.
This link, however, differs significantly between elementary school patterns and those in HISD's middle and high schools.
Hispanic Students Disproportionate Labeling Of Learning Disabilities
Hispanic LEP students are less likely than Hispanic non-LEP students to be classified as needing special education during the primary school years. However, in middle school, Hispanic LEP students are significantly more likely than Hispanic non-LEP counterparts to be recognized as needing special education assistance. This tendency is even more pronounced in high school when the likelihood of Hispanic LEP students receiving a special education classification is more than four and a half times that of Hispanic non-LEP classmates.
This pie chart is showcasing the percentage of Hispanic students being labeled as having learning disabilities in schools where they are the lesser amount of the student body (which the orange part of the chart) in comparison to schools where the make up the majority of the student body (which is the fuchsia part of the chart). As shown, the percentage of Hispanic students being labeled as having learning disabilities in schools where they are the lesser is 62% and the percentage of Hispanic students being labeled as having learning disabilities in schools where they are the majority is 38%. Again, showcasing how minority students are labeled as having learning disabilities disproportionately.
Overall
Hispanic students in HISD were less likely to be designated as needing special education than non-Hispanic students. However, there is some evidence that in HISD elementary schools, Hispanic students who attend a school where Hispanics make up a relatively high percentage of the student population (around 93 percent) are significantly less likely to be identified as needing special education than Hispanic students who attend a school with low Hispanic enrollment (39 percent ). Hispanic students are much less likely than their non-Hispanic peers to be identified as needing special education, but in elementary schools with a relatively low Hispanic enrollment, Hispanic students are equally likely as non-Hispanic students to be identified as needing special education. Although none of the odds ratios indicates an over-identification of Hispanic students, 62% indicates a larger possibility of identification than 38%. As a result, similar to what we saw with African American students, there appears to be a substantial association between the number of Hispanic students who attend a school and the rate at which they are designated as needing special education.