Examining the Underrepresentation of Asian Americans in Special Education: New Trends from California School Districts

ABSTRACT

Despite decades of research on racial disproportionality in special education, the underrepresentation of Asian Americans in services tends to be overlooked in policy and practice. Underrepresentation, however, raises the possibility of similar concerns about misidentification, bias, and racial inequality within schools as overrepresentation. Yet, little is known about the scope and magnitude of underrepresentation for Asian Americans in special education. National and state-level data are helpful in documenting trends but tend to ignore the wide variation in Asian American representation across local areas. This study assesses Asian American underrepresentation in special education across all school districts in California and explores district-level factors that may predict these disparities. The results show that while Asian Americans are underrepresented in special education in nearly all districts, the disparities are greater in those with larger Asian American populations. In the case of autism, however, Asian Americans are overrepresented in most districts. A consistent predictor of these disparities is the racial composition of the teaching staff. Overall, the study shows that national data can underestimate the extent of Asian American underrepresentation in special education and calls attention to Asian American students who may be overlooked for needed services.