This study explored the extent of disproportionality in the identification and placement of culturally and linguistically diverse students identified as English language learners in special education. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses examined patterns and predictors of identification and placement in special education among English learners throughout the state relative to their White peers. The results indicate that these students are increasingly likely to be identified as having learning disabilities or mental retardation, and are less likely to be served in either the least or most restrictive educational environments relative to their White peers. The author also examined the influence of several district-level factors commonly explored in studies of racial disproportionality and found that these factors did not evidence similar relationships to the disproportionate representation of English language learners. The study presents implications for further research and practice.

Refugees often experience significant psychological distress, but many do not receive necessary services. Among children and youth, most mental health services are provided by schools, so schools are an important service provider for young refugees. We conducted a systemic literature review to synthesize and evaluate the existing research on school-based interventions to improve mental health or social-emotional functioning of students who are refugees, asylum seekers, or immigrants with war trauma. Three types of school-based interventions were identified: cognitive behavioral therapy, creative expression, and multitiered or multimodal models. The review identified several interventions with positive effects, as well as multiple interventions that had null or negative effects. We address the implications of this body of intervention research for practice and research.

We examined the risk of disability identification associated with individual and school variables. The sample included 18,000 students in 39 schools of an urban K-12 school system. Descriptive analysis showed racial minority risk varied across 7 disability categories, with males and students from low-income backgrounds at highest risk in most disability categories. Multilevel analyses showed that school variables were not generally significant predictors of student risk for identification. The most consistent predictors of identification across the categories were students' gender, race, socioeconomic status, and number of suspensions. We provide implications for future studies of disparities in special education, as well as practice related to identification and systemic monitoring.

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