Abstract

This study examined biases regarding the referrals that teachers make regarding student placement recommendations for Native American students. Special education teachers (n = 97) from around the United States completed a digital card sort task involving 24 fictitious student record cards. The student record cards contained subtle information about the ethnicity of the student, as indicated through the use of racial identification (Native American, Asian, or White) on the student records and the use of student names that may be associated with these three categories. Academic information was equal among each of these three groups. Each group contained identical male and female record cards as well, only differentiated by the student's name and gender. Results found higher placement errors than expected; however, these placement errors were not statistically significant for gender, ethnicity, or their interaction. Although the results of this study do not point to specific biases in these areas, any errors in student placement may negatively impact academic outcomes. In order to mitigate this, schools may want to rely less heavily on subjective teacher referrals and develop more objective measures to determine access to these programs. The goal of this study was to add to the limited body of existing literature on teacher biases involving Native American students and their representation in special or advanced education programs. Native Americans are an under-researched population, and, while the results of this study were not statistically significant, they increase our existing knowledge in this area.

Degree

EdS

College and Department

David O. McKay School of Education; Counseling Psychology and Special Education

Rights

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