Do special education recommendations differ for Asian American and White American students?

Asian American students are underrepresented in special education, a state of affairs that threatens their access to academic resources. We propose that student race may influence educators’ likelihood of recommending them for special education services. In two studies, participants working in the field of education (total N = 1195) read a realistic, hypothetical observational behavioral report that described a struggling student. The student’s race (White or Asian) and area of difficulty (Reading or Math) were manipulated between subjects. Regardless of subject area, participants were less likely to recommend Asian American than White American students for learning disability evaluation. We speculate that the difference is based on stereotypes that Asian American students are too academically successful to struggle. Such lack of recommendation, if it occurs in the classroom, could potentially contribute to the underrepresentation of Asian American students in special education.