A Hunter College Education researcher has received a $1.7 million, four-year grant for a four-state study of racial disproportionality in Special Education.
Assistant Professor of Special Education Catherine Kramarczuk Voulgarides is the principal investigator on the federal study, which will examine Special Education in California, New York, Washington, and Wisconsin. The researchers will look at data on almost 11 million students from the 2010 through the 2022 school years and interview school officials, caregivers, and students with disabilities.
The innovative research project addresses the critical issue of racial disproportionality in Special Education and exclusionary discipline practices. The issue remains one of the most persistent and complex challenges in Special Education. Extensive research has shown that students of color often face inequitable treatment within special education systems, including overrepresentation in restrictive settings, lower-quality services, and higher rates of disciplinary actions.
The study will provide a more comprehensive understanding of how policies relate to the factors behind racial disproportionality — filling a research gap by linking empirical findings with policy analysis to create a fairer educational landscape for historically underserved learners with disabilities.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant from the U.S. Department of Education,” said Dr. Kramarczuk Voulgarides. “Our goal is to provide actionable insights that can lead to more equitable policies and practices in special education, ensuring all students receive the support they need to succeed.”
The study is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. The primary target disabilities include learning disabilities, intellectual disability, emotional disturbance, speech and language impairment, other health impairments, and autism.
About the Institute of Education Sciences
The Institute of Education Sciences is the statistics, research, and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Education. It is independent and nonpartisan. Its mission is to provide scientific evidence on which to ground education practice and policy and to share this information in formats that are useful and accessible to educators, parents, policymakers, researchers, and the public.
