Parent and Teacher Referrals for a Psychoeducational Evaluation

The school records of 439 pupils who had been referred for special education evaluation were studied. Of the pupils, 328 were referred by teachers and 111 by parents. Results indicated that both parents and teachers referred primarily for academic reasons, but parents did so more often, and that parents referred higher functioning pupils than teachers referred. Data also indicated that white parents were more likely than minority parents to refer their children, but that teachers were more likely to refer minority pupils.