Moving Beyond Compliance and Toward Equity to Address Racial Disproportionality

Abstract

The rights of approximately seven million students with disabilities are secured via the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Despite these protections, consequential inequities still need to be addressed. Racialized inequities in special education outcomes persist across classifications, placements, and disciplinary outcomes—often referred to as racial disproportionality. The disjuncture between the promises of IDEA and persistent racial disparities highlights an equity dilemma. We tackle this dilemma and provide recommendations for educators to move beyond IDEA compliance and toward equity when addressing racial disproportionality. We discuss how efforts to address the inequity can be re-imagined across personal, classroom, and system levels. We provide three broad recommendations responsive to IDEA provisions and the myriad of root causes contributing to racial disproportionality.