Does School Psychology Literature Address the Inequities in the Assessment Practices for Special Education Eligibility Under Emotional Disturbance?

Abstract

Abstract There is a significant need for school psychology research to examine the current assessment practices used when determining special education eligibility under Emotional Disturbance (ED). Specifically, the field has provided ample evidence of the disproportionate rates of Black students eligible under ED, yet our assessment practices as school psychologists have not been evaluated as potential contributors to this systemic oppression in schools. Given the shift towards using a social justice and anti-racism approach in school psychology, we urge scholars and practitioners to investigate the inequities of the current assessment process for identifying ED eligibility by highlighting the dearth of published literature on this topic. That is, the present study systematically reviewed 135 studies that focused on discussing disproportionately in the assessment process for ED eligibility and were published in top school psychology journals. Results revealed that only six articles (4.44%) explicitly discussed disproportionately in assessment procedures for ED eligibility. This paucity of research in the field of school psychology places challenges in using an equity and anti-racist approach to assessment among a highly subjective eligibility category that often places students from minoritized backgrounds in special education. Recommendations for continuing research on equity and anti-racist approaches to the assessment process in ED eligibility are discussed.