An Organizational Analysis of the Overrepresentation of Poor and Minority Students in Special Education1

By considering the overrepresentation problem in special education from an organizational perspective, the author argues that it is part of a broader problem associated with the political function of special education within public education. From this perspective, special education is an unintended consequence of bureaucratic schooling, an institutional artifact that protects the legitimacy of nonadaptable organizations faced with the changing values and expectations of an increasingly diverse democratic society. The author proposes an alternative organizational structure for schools that resolves the overrepresentation problem, advances the spirit of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and inclusive education, and turns educational equity into a precondition for educational excellence in schools and, ultimately, for economic and political excellence and equity in society.