Antonis Katsiyannis

Minority Representation in Special Education A Persistent Challenge

Overrepresentation of minority students in special education has been a concern for more than 3 decades. Such overrepresentation has triggered a number of legal challenges, educational reforms, and legislative actions. However, a question still remains in the field: Have there been any recent changes or improvements? We addressed this question by analyzing data published by the federal government. Racial representation along with regional variations and state poverty rates were examined. The results indicated that American Indian/Alaskan Native and African American students were overrepresented in high-incidence disabilities (i.e., emotional and behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, and mental retardation); that significant regional variations existed in minority representation, but that these variations were not correlated with state poverty rates; and that racial representation in certain disability categories was negatively correlated with state poverty rates for certain racial groups.

Factors related to recidivism among delinquent youths in a state correctional facility

Identifying and remediating variables accounting for recidivism has been a persistent and often controversial challenge. We investigated factors that may be related to recidivism among delinquent youths committed to a state correctional facility. Data were collected by examining the records of 147 recidivists and 147 non-recidivists. Our findings are consistent with previous research showing age of first offense and first commitment differentiated recidivists and non-recidivists. Additional discriminant factors included deficits in basic skills, special education background, gang affiliation, and length of stay at the facility.

Reflections on the 25th Anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

November 29, 2000, marked the 25th anniversary of the signing into law of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This seminal law has improved the educational opportunities for students with disabilities in the United States. In this article we briefly review the IDEAs first 25 years and speculate on the direction the IDEA may take in the future. Our purpose in this article is to (a) present the litigative and legislative developments that led to the passage of IDEA, (b) examine the law itself and the litigation interpreting the IDEA, and (c) discuss the direction that IDEA may take over the next 25 years.

Juvenile Delinquency and Recidivism: The Impact of Academic Achievement

For well over a century, behavioral researchers have attempted to understand the relation between juvenile delinquency and academic achievement. The authors review current literature pertaining to academic achievement and its effect on delinquency. While researchers have not yet been able to establish a direct causal relation between these two variables, it has been demonstrated that poor academic outcomes can adversely affect a childs behavior, and early behavioral problems can lead to poor academic outcomes. Studies have also shown that rates of recidivism are highly correlated with low levels of academic performance. Lastly, research has demonstrated that the implementation of sound academic interventions, particularly in reading, can effectively reduce rates of both delinquency and recidivism.

Availability of Special Education Teachers Trends and Issues

A national shortage of fully certified special education teachers has been a persistent concern over the years. The purpose of this study was to examine teacher availability by analyzing data from the annual reports to Congress over a 10-year period. Findings indicate (a) that there is a nationwide shortage of teachers who are qualified to teach across all disabilities, including a particularly disproportionate shortage in the area of emotional and behavioral disorders, and (b) that there has been a dramatic decrease in the teacher shortage rate, beginning in the 1993—1994 year and continuing in subsequent years. Possible explanations for this decrease may be the expanded reliance on the proliferation of alternate or emergency certification, inclusionary practices, personnel preparation training grants, and noncategorical certification. In the short run, alternate or emergency certification routes may decrease the shortage of special education teachers; however, we caution against the use of these routes to teacher certification, if they become an institutionalized alternative to a comprehensive teacher education program.

High-Stakes Testing and Students With Disabilities Challenges and Promises

The use of high-stakes testing has become an increasingly popular assessment for schools to use in demonstrating individual academic performance of students, and providingaccountability for school improvement. Given the potential negative consequences associated with mandatory testing (e.g., grade retention, withholding of high school diplomas, labeling failing schools), students, parents, and school districts all bear significant risks based upon student test scores. The historically poor performance of students with disabilities on these assessments has raised concerns over minimum standards, permissible test modifications, and alternate assessments. The authors provide a review of recent research literature, legislation, and court decisions pertaining to the use of high-stakes testing for students with special needs in support of : (a) federal legislation (i.e., No Child Left Behind and Individual With Disabilities Education Act), (b) Mandatory Competency Exams to determine grade promotion, and (c) Mandatory Exit Exams to meet graduation requirements.

Academic Remediation, Parole Violations, and Recidivism Rates Among Delinquent Youths

Given the close association of academic achievement not only to delinquency, but also to recidivism, further examination of this variable is warranted. We examined the records of 505 delinquent males committed to a state correctional facility during a recent 7-year period (1991-1997 inclusive). For each of the 7 years, three groups were identified: one group receiving remediation in math, one group receiving remediation in reading, and one group receiving no remediation. Results indicated that members of the remedial groups were twice as likely to be recidivists or parole violators as members of the nonremedial group. Factors predictive of membership in the remedial groups included verbal IQ, race, and age of first commitment.

Developing Legally Correct and Educationally Appropriate Programs for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in litigation regarding the education of students With autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Because of the complexity of ASD and the costs of litigation related to the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, ASD has become a high-stakes issue for parents and school districts. The purpose of this article is to extrapolate principles from the ASD litigation to provide guidelines to assist Individualized Education Program teams in developing appropriate special education programs for students With ASD.

Background and Psychosocial Variables Associated with Recidivism Among Adolescent Males A 3-Year Investigation

Given the limitations of existing “prediction models” regarding recidivism among juvenile offenders, psychosocial variables were added to background variables to investigate the contributions of these factors to the prediction of recidivism. Psychosocial variables included alcohol abuse, depression, levels of parent and peer attachment, and personality traits.The participants for the present study were 299 adolescent males incarcerated from July 1998 to July 1999 in a midwestern correctional facility. Follow-up data on recidivists were collected in 1999—2000, 2000—2001, and 2001—2002. Findings differentiating recidivists from nonrecidivists were consistent with earlier studies regarding age at first commitment and parole violation. Personality variables such as cognitive structure and succorance (Personality Research Form; Jackson, 1989) improved the prediction of recidivism, even with age of commitment, educational achievement, and measures of psychopathology accounted for. Continued efforts to improve the validity of prediction models are recommended, particularly by considering psychosocial and postrelease-related variables in addition to background and educational factors.

Placing Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings: Legal Guidelines and Preferred Practices

Two federal laws have been extremely important in providing rules and regulations to guide the educational placement of students with disabilities. The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) created a detailed set of guidelines to ensure an appropriate education in the least restrictive setting for students who are eligible for special education programs. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 also addressed the placement of students with disabilities (Rehabilitation Act, 1973). These laws provide guidance in determining the appropriate placement of students; nevertheless, what constitutes an appropriate placement for an individual student has often proven to be a very difficult issue for school districts. The purpose of this article is to clarify some of the confusion and controversy surounding the placement of students with disabilities by examining its basis in the IDEA and Section 504, and subsequent legal interpretations by the U.S. Department of Education and in courts across the United States. Based on these considerations, the authors propose recommendations to assist school officials to meet the placement requirements of IDEA and Section 504 in a legally correct and educationally appropriate manner.