Indicator 10: Disproportionate Representation in Specific Disability Categories

The MSDE uses its 618 data, collected the last Friday in October, 2022, from each of the 25 local education agencies, and reported in the Maryland Early Intervention/Special Education Services Census Data And Related Tables.

Definition of “Disproportionate Representation” and Methodology

Disproportionality is defined as having students in a particular racial/ethnic group (i.e., American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, African American, White, Hispanic, Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or 2 or more races), being at a considerably greater or lesser risk of being identified as eligible for special education and related services than all other racial/ethnic groups enrolled either in the local education agency (LEA) or in the State.

For consistency and clarity, the MSDE's Indicator 9 methodology is similar to the methodology used for identifying Significant Disproportionality. In addition to meeting the 2.0 or greater risk ratio, the LEA must meet the criteria for the minimum cell size and n-size, where cell size is the number of students in an LEA who are a specific race/ethnicity and identified with a specific disability category, and where the n-size is the number of students with disabilities of a specific race/ethnicity enrolled in an LEA. The MSDE utilizes a minimum cell size of five (5) and a minimum “n” size of twenty (20). Unlike the calculation for Significant Disproportionality, the State only examines one (1) year of data in the calculation and does not consider reasonable progress for Indicator 10. As such, disproportionate representation is identified for any LEA with a risk ratio of 2.0 for one (1) year of data or greater who meets the minimum cell size and n-size requirements. 

Identification of Disproportionality

MSDE's analysis of the data demonstrated that eighteen (18) LEAs were identified as having disproportionate representation of racial and ethnic groups in specific disability categories. No LEAs were excluded from the calculation.

 

Compare Local School Systems for Indicator 10.