Sample School District
SPECIAL EDUCATION DISPROPORTIONALITY DATA BOOK
Prepared in the Summer of 2014
by the
Technical Assistance Center on Disproportionality (NYU-TAC-D)
*All data provided by NYSED (not publically available data sources)
Composition Index1
Composition indexes give the proportion of students by a specific category or categories
(race/ethnicity, gender, ELL, etc.). Composition indexes of a school’s overall enrollment can be
compared to the composition indexes of students in a particular program or setting (Special
Education, AP/Honors courses, gifted/talented, etc.). Comparisons of composition indexes are
made no more than one level apart2. For example, the composition index of students with
disabilities can be compared to the total enrollment composition index to show general
disproportionality. Similarly, to show disproportionality in a particular disability, it is helpful to
compare the composition index of that disability to the composition index of students with
disabilities. The differences in the composition indexes are the “classic” definition of
disproportionality – the proportion of the subset does not match the proportion of the larger
set.
Table 2. Composition Index of School (2012-2013)
American
Indian
Number of
Students
(Enrollment)
School
Composition Index
Native
Hawaiian
or Pacific
Islander
Asian
Black
Hispanic
or Latino
White
Two or
More
Total
*not
provided
3
115
313
274
3386
299
4390
X%
.06%
2.61%
7.13%
6.24%
77.13%
6.81%
100%
School Composition (2012-2013)
Native Hawaiian
or Pacific Islander
Asian
Black
White
Two or More
1
This measure, while valuable to look at, is not used by New York State to identify disproportionate schools.
Comparing composition indexes requires one population to be an immediate subset of the other (separated by
only one level) – e.g. you can compare the racial/ethnic composition of the total school population to the
racial/ethnic composition of a school or the racial/ethnic composition of the students in the school classified as
having a disability, but not the racial/ethnic composition of students classified as having a learning disability. The
subset of students classified as having a learning disability too far removed from the total school population to
make a reasonable inference about disproportionality.
2
Table 3. Composition Index of SWD in School (2012-2013)
American
Indian
Native
Hawaiian
or Pacific
Islander
Asian
Black
Hispanic
or Latino
White
Multi
Racial
Total
Number of
Students with
Disabilities (SWD)
2
1
9
67
39
461
41
620
SWD Composition
Index
.32%
.16%
1.45%
10.8%
6.29%
74.35%
6.61%
100%
SWD Composition (2012-2013)
Native Hawaiian
or Pacific Islander
Asian
Black
White
Two or More
Composition of SWD – Analysis and Interpretation
 Black students in district make up 7.13% of the school population and make up 10.8% of
students in the school classified as disabled.
 Hispanic or Latino students in district make up 6.24% of the school population and make
6.29% of students in the school classified as disabled.
Enrollment Patterns by Race/Ethnicity from 2008-2013 in District
4500
4000
3500
3000
Black or African American
2500
Hispanic or Latino
2000
Asian
1500
White
1000
Multiracial
500
0
4500
4000
3500
3000
2008-09
2500
2009-10
2000
2010-11
1500
2011-2012
1000
2012-2103
500
0
Black or
African
American
Hispanic or
Latino
Asian
White
Multiracial
Classification in all Disability Categories
The Risk Index of Classification (classification rate) identifies what rate, or percentage of risk,
students of a particular racial/ethnic group have of being classified as students with disabilities.
The classification rate is sometimes called the “risk index,” because it measure the risk (or
chance) that a student will be classified as a student with a disability.
Table 1. Risk Index of Classification by Race/Ethnicity (2012-2013)
Number of
Students with
Disabilities (SWD)
Number of
Students
(Enrollment)
Risk Index or
Classification Rate
American
Indian
Native
Hawaiian or
Pacific
Islander
Asian
Black
Hispanic
or Latino
White
Two or
More
Total
2
1
9
67
39
461
41
620
*not provided
3
115
313
274
3386
299
4390
X%
33.33%
7.82%
21.4%
14.23%
13.61%
13.71%
14.12%
Risk Index of Classification of SWD – Analysis and Interpretation
 Overall, 14.12% of the students in district are classified as having a disability
 Of Black students in district, 21.4% are classified as having a disability.
 Of Hispanic or Latino students in district, 14.23% are classified as having a disability.
 Of White students in district, 13.61% are classified as having a disability.
Relative Risk Ratio
Total
Multi-racial
White
Hispanic
Black
Asian
Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
American Indian
Classification Rate
Risk Index of Classification by Race/Ethnicity (2012-2013)
Relative Risk Ratios is New York State’s primary method for determining whether or not a
school is considered disproportionate. Measures of risk (risk index) are used to answer
questions about the likelihood of students in a given racial/ethnic group receiving a particular
treatment or experiencing a particular outcome. Relative risk ratios (risk ratio) are comparisons
of the risks of a particular racial/ethnic group receiving a particular treatment or experiencing a
particular outcome to the risk of the remaining racial/ethnic group receiving the same
treatment or experiencing the same outcome. They are used to determine the likelihood that a
student from a particular racial or ethnic group will be classified as disabled, be given a specific
disability classification, or placed in a most restrictive environment and the likelihood that a
student with a disability from a particular racial or ethnic group will be suspended for more
than 10 days.
A risk ratio of 1 indicates that there is equal risk. An increase in the risk ratio is indicative of
increased risk.
Suspensions (2012-2013)
If the likelihood of a group of students with disabilities being suspended for more than 10 days
is greater than 2.0 when compared to all other students with disabilities in the school, then
there is a significant indication of disproportionality.
In School Suspensions Up to 10 Days
Relative Risk Ratio Computations for In School Suspensions Up to 10 Days by Race/Ethnicity
(2012-2013)
Black Relative Risk Ratio
(Black SWD Suspension ÷ Black SWD) ÷
[(Total SWD Suspension – Black SWD Suspension) ÷ (Total SWD – Black SWD)] = 3.3986 risk*
* The cell numbers are too small to be considered for a citation
Hispanic Relative Risk Ratio
(Hispanic SWD Suspension ÷ Hispanic SWD) ÷
[(Total SWD Suspension – Hispanic SWD Suspension) ÷ (Total SWD – Hispanic SWD)] = 2.1282*
risk
* The cell numbers are too small to be considered for a citation
Relative Risk Ratio Computations for In School Suspensions Up to 10 Days by Race/Ethnicity
(2012-2013)
4
3.5
3
2.5
Black
2
Hispanic or Latino
1.5
1
Risk Ratio
0.5
0
Relative Risk Ratio – Analysis and Interpretation
 Black students in District are 3.3986 times more likely to be suspended In School
Suspensions Up to 10 Days by Race/Ethnicity
In School Suspensions Over 10 Days
Relative Risk Ratio Computations for In School Suspensions Over 10 Days by Race/Ethnicity
(2012-2013)
Black Relative Risk Ratio
(Black SWD Suspension ÷ Black SWD) ÷
[(Total SWD Suspension – Black SWD Suspension) ÷ (Total SWD – Black SWD)] = 8.2537 risk*
* The cell numbers are too small to be considered for a citation
Hispanic Relative Risk Ratio
(Hispanic SWD Suspension ÷ Hispanic SWD) ÷
[(Total SWD Suspension – Hispanic SWD Suspension) ÷ (Total SWD – Hispanic SWD)] = 0.0000
risk
Relative Risk Ratio Computations for In School Suspensions Over 10 Days by Race/Ethnicity
(2012-2013)
9
8
7
6
5
Black
4
Hispanic or Latino
3
2
1
Risk Ratio
0
Relative Risk Ratio – Analysis and Interpretation
 Black students in District are 8.2537 times more likely to be suspended for In School
Suspensions Over 10 Days by Race/Ethnicity
Out of School Suspensions Up to 10 Days
Relative Risk Ratio Computations for Out of School Suspensions Up to 10 Days by
Race/Ethnicity (2012-2013)
Black Relative Risk Ratio
(Black SWD Suspension ÷ Black SWD) ÷
[(Total SWD Suspension – Black SWD Suspension) ÷ (Total SWD – Black SWD)] = 3.2631 risk
Hispanic Relative Risk Ratio
(Hispanic SWD Suspension ÷ Hispanic SWD) ÷
[(Total SWD Suspension – Hispanic SWD Suspension) ÷ (Total SWD – Hispanic SWD)] = .5137 risk
Relative Risk Ratio Computations for Out of School Suspensions Up to 10 Days by
Race/Ethnicity (2012-2013)
3.5
3
2.5
2
Black
Hispanic or Latino
1.5
1
Risk Ratio
0.5
0
Relative Risk Ratio – Analysis and Interpretation
 Black students in District are 3.2631 times more likely to be suspended for Out of School
Suspensions Up to 10 Days by Race/Ethnicity
Out of School Suspensions Over 10 Days
Relative Risk Ratio Computations for Out of School Suspensions Over 10 Days by
Race/Ethnicity (2012-2013)
Black Relative Risk Ratio
(Black SWD Suspension ÷ Black SWD) ÷
[(Total SWD Suspension – Black SWD Suspension) ÷ (Total SWD – Black SWD)] = 4.9522 risk*
* The cell numbers are too small to be considered for a citation
Hispanic Relative Risk Ratio
(Hispanic SWD Suspension ÷ Hispanic SWD) ÷
[(Total SWD Suspension – Hispanic SWD Suspension) ÷ (Total SWD – Hispanic SWD)] = 2.1282*
risk
*The cell numbers are too small to be considered for a citation
Relative Risk Ratio Computations for Out of School Suspensions Over 10 Days by
Race/Ethnicity (2012-2013)
9
8
7
6
5
Black
4
Hispanic or Latino
3
2
1
0
Risk Ratio
Relative Risk Ratio – Analysis and Interpretation
 Black students in District are 4.9522 times more likely to be suspended for Out of School
Suspensions Over 10 Days by Race/Ethnicity
 Hispanic or Latino students in District are 2.1282 times more likely to be suspended for Out
of School Suspensions Over 10 days by Race/Ethnicity