Sex of teacher and referral frequency of sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade children

This investigation studied whether frequency of referral for special education services was dependent upon the sex of the teacher. The referrals for special education services for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students of one school system were reviewed. The results indicated that male teachers referred proportionately significantly fewer students than did female teachers. Possibilities for the cause of this difference include different cultural expectations for both sex teachers and students, different abilities of male and female teachers, and the manner in which referrals are perceived by other school staff members.