Study of the Special Education Initial Referral and Placement Process in MCPS Elementary Schools.

The study examined procedures utilized in 28 elementary schools in Montgomery County (Maryland) when a student is found to have academic or behavioral problems that make functioning in the regular classroom difficult. The study examined one part of special education--how the school system initially identifies students for special services. The study reviewed 650 students to determine how many received a handicapped code and which code they received. The investigation monitored a subsample of 302 students to determine what happended when students received a referral to Educational Management Teams (EMT) and School Admissions, Review, and Dismissal (SARD) committees. Results showed that the profile of students seen to be at risk closely matched participation figures for receipt of special education services, with Black students more likely and Asian students less likely to be coded as handicapped compared to majority group students. The most common category was learning disabilities, followed by speech/language impairments. The functions of the EMT and the SARD were poorly differentiated; the EMT was frequently not fulfilling its problem solving function prior to referral for identification of a handicapping condition. Several inconsistencies in diagnostic evaluation and due process practices surfaced. (JDD)