Embedded Files
A disproportionate number of African American students are identified for tiered supports and/or special education services, while very few black children qualify for gifted services in our district.
- As of the 2015-2016 official enrollment date, 792 of 5688 K-12 students in the Kirkwood School District were identified as gifted (13.92%). District-wide, 688 of 4354 white students were identified as gifted (15.8%), while only 53 of 758 African American students were identified (7.6%). Gifted educators in the district have recently taken steps to revamp identification processes to ensure equitable identification of African American students.
- Similar disparities exist with students identified for special education services. As of the 2015-2016 official enrollment date, 788 of 5688 K-12 students in the Kirkwood School District have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and require special education services (13.85%). District-wide, 528 of 4354 white students have IEPs (12.1%) while 159 of 758 African American students have been identified for special education services (21.0%).
These racial gaps in identification and subsequent services are unfortunately consistent with national trends, yet we can and must do better in supporting students on both ends of the spectrum.
Photo Credit: Jayson Hedgpeth
Our goal, at each school and as a district, should be for special education and gifted rates among African American students to be equal to or greater than district averages by the end of the 2021-2022 school year.
Our goal, at each school and as a district, should be for special education and gifted rates among African American students to be equal to or greater than district averages by the end of the 2021-2022 school year.
Addressing these and other inequities will require training for educators and cooperative partnerships with families. Relationships must be strengthened through aggressive outreach and sincere commitments between home and school, but none of this will matter if district policies, practices, and curriculum favor some students at the expense of others. The 2015-16 Task Force plan calls for audits of how we do business, what we teach students, and the environments in which we work and learn.
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