The problem of disproportionality in special education is complex and requires an investigation of multiple factors related to racial, ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, school context, and family characteristics. Researchers have debated whether language minority (LM) students are under or overrepresented in special education, but…

Nearly 14% of students in the United States receive special education services in public schools (NCES, 2017). Special education programs serve students with a wide range of developmental differences and vary considerably across schools and districts (National Research Council, 1997). Likelihood of identification for special education services…

This dissertation examines the question "how do ESL teachers perceive the prereferral process for identifying adolescent Latino English language learners with specific learning disabilities?" The study fits within the Latino Critical Race Theory framework and employs an interpretive phenomenological qualitative research approach.…