James M. Patton

The Disproportionate Representation of African Americans in Special Education Looking Behind the Curtain for Understanding and Solutions

The overrepresentation of African American children and youth in special education programs for students with learning disabilities, severe emotional or behavioral disabilities, and mental disabilities has remained a persistent reality even after more than 20 years of recognition. After reviewing these recurring patterns, a critical-theory mode of inquiry is used to discuss how certain basic assumptions, world-views, beliefs, and epistemologies used by some special education knowledge producers serve to perpetuate the disproportionality drama. The author concludes by suggesting that the voices of qualitatively different knowledge producers, who are culturally and interculturally competent, are needed to bring resolution to this persistent challenge.

Assessment and Identification of African-American Learners with Gifts and Talents

This article presents a schema designed to guide the development of theory, methodology, and research related to the psychoeducational assessment of African-American learners with gifts and talents. The relationships among African-American worldviews, needed psychoeducational assessment theory and methodology, and desirable assessment and identification instruments and practices are explored. Assessment paradigms, instruments, and practices most reliable and valid for identifying gifts and talents among African-American learners are offered.

Democratic Dispositions and Cultural Competency: Ingredients for School Renewal

The current school reform movement of high-stakes testing is misguided. Rather than add to the deconstruction of standards-based reform, the authors propose two ideas for what should permeate the work in U.S. public schools. They advocate that democratic dispositions and cultural competency be included in the major goals of schooling and also propose that the purpose of schooling should be determined through public deliberation within diverse communities. The authors believe that schools should be responsible for educating good people.

Ethics, Power, and Privilege: Neglected Considerations in the Education of African American Learners with Special Needs.

This article addresses issues of ethics, power, and privilege within the context of educating African American learners with disabilities and gifts and talent. After offering pertinent perspectives drawn from critical theory, the authors discuss selected salient critical issues in education, as these issues relate to ethics, power, and privilege. A discussion of special education teacher educators, teachers, and related personnel as change agents follows. Subsequent to this discussion, the authors offer an analysis of three ethical themes and suggest that their use could serve to guide the transformative education of African American learners with disabilities and gifts and talents. The article ends with a preview of subsequent articles of a planned series on ethics, power, and privilege.

Special Education Certification/Recertification For Regular Educators:

This article reports on a recent national study of the nature and extent of special education certification and recertification requirements for regular education teachers. State directors of teacher education and certification were asked to respond to questions related to teacher certification and recertification requirements, the means by which these requirements are met, and factors that might have led to changes in these requirements. Results indicated that in the last 10 years there has been a dramatic change in state special education coursework requirements for the certification of regular education teachers. The subtleties and implications of these results, as they relate to both special and regular education, are explored.

Creating inclusive environments for African American children and youth with gifts and talents

While African American children in general have been widely discussed in the literature, those with academic gifts and talents have not (Frasier, 1989; Patton & Baytops, 1995). In comparison with their cognitive development, even less attention is placed on these childrens socio‐cultural and psychosocial development (Ford, 1992; Shade, 1990; Patton & Baytops, 1995). Increasingly, African American learners with gifts and talents are being educated in general class settings. For these settings to be genuinely inclusive, the sociocultural and psychosocial needs of African American children and youth should be addressed. Hence, this discussion identifies several sociocultural and psychosocial needs unique to gifted African American learners. Classrooms aiming to be inclusive should respond to those needs. Thus, strategies are suggested to create inclusive environments for African American learners. The authors believe that inclusive environments for gifted African American learners result when educators beco...

P.L. 94-142 and the Changing Status of Teacher Certification/ Recertification: A Survey of State Education Agencies

James M. Patton, Ed.D., is Interim Dean, School of Education, Virginia State University, Petersburg, Virginia. Ronald L. Braithwaite, Ph.D., is Director of Research and Evaluation Consuitant, Hampton Institute, Hampton, Virginia. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (P.L. 94-142) provides federal legislative support to earlier philosophical and professional movements for &dquo;mainstream ing&dquo; and &dquo;normalization.&dquo; A major intent of the law is that, to the maximum extent appropriate, handicapped individuals be educated in environments which progressively approximate those offered their

The education of African American males: frameworks for developing authenticity

This article begins with a contextual overview of the education of young African American males. Philosophical and theoretical guideposts are later offered to suggest direction for the authentic education of these learners. Effective intervention strategies are proposed along with the outline of a holistic service delivery model. It is suggested that the progress of young African American males is linked to the ability of K-16 educational systems to develop positive visions and images of the survival and success of these learners. The increased linkages of community-based programs that utilize Africentric principles and practices are discussed.

Teacher Education, Leadership, and Disciplinary Practices: Exploring Ethic, Power, and Privilege in the Education of Exceptional African American Learners.

W know more today about the effective education. of African American learners than ever before in history. Yet, we continue to be challenged to increase outcomes for these learners. Ethical issues that reek with power and privilege implications have rarely been explored within the context of educating African American learners with special needs. Whether or not we address these issues overtly, in &dquo;whis-

Exploring Some Missing Dimensions: Ethics, Power, and Privilege in the Education of African American Learners With Disabilities and Gifts and Talents

This special compilation of articles in Teacher Education and Special Education follows an initial article recently published by Patton and Townsend that addressed issues of ethics, power, and privilege within the context of educating African American learners with disabilities and gifts and talents. The increased cultural, racial, and gender homogeneity of the teaching, administrative, counseling and related services, and teacher education personnel, concomitant with the increased cultural, ethnic, and class diversity of exceptional learners, has created a compelling need to explore more closely these three critical issues. We believe that this special collection of articles provides us with a systematic view of the role these three variables have played in the education of African American learners and the path educators can follow in order to incorporate properly these perspectives into their practice and research.