The second edition of this powerful book examines the disproportionate placement of Black and Hispanic students in special education. The authors present compelling, research-based stories representing the range of experiences faced by culturally and linguistically diverse students who fall in the liminal shadow of perceived disability. They examine the children's experiences, their families' interactions with school personnel, the teachers' and schools' estimation of the children and their families, and the school climate that influences decisions about referrals to special education. The book concludes with recommendations for improving educational practice, teacher training, and policy renewal--Back cover.

Overview : ethnic disproportionality in special education -- School structure : institutional bias and individual agency -- Cultural consonance, dissonance, and the nuances of racism -- In the classroom : opportunity to learn -- The construction of family identity: stereotypes and cultural capital -- At the conference table : the discourse of identity construction -- Bilingual issues and the referral process -- Constructing intellectual disability: cracks and redundancies -- Constructing learning disabilities : redundancies and discrepancies -- Constructing emotional/behavior disorders: from troubling to troubled behavior -- Into special education : exile or solution? -- Conclusion -- Epilogue: Research methods : who are we and how did we do this research?.