The Special Education Placement of an African American Male Identified as Emotionally Disturbed: A Qualitative Single-Case Study

This case study examined the school-based interventions used to determine a self-contained special education placement for a fourth-grade African American male student with an emotional disturbance disability. The study aimed to answer four research questions, which included the academic and behavioral school-based interventions provided to the student before a referral to special education evaluation, the perception of the student by the special education teacher and diagnostician, the role of the campus administrator in determining placement, and the parent's perception of the referral process. The study used a single case study research methodology and included four active participants. Data collection instruments included individual interviews and content analysis, including a review of academic records, special education records, discipline reports, and Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) committee notes. The theoretical framework used was the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), and data was analyzed using Glaser and Strauss's (2017) constant comparative method. The findings revealed that upon entry into the school district, the student began receiving Tier 2 interventions. However, the infrequency of data collection, lack of progress monitoring, and inconsistent documentation of the duration and frequency of the interventions did not support the placement recommendation of the IEP team. Therefore, the study recommends in-depth training on implementing MTSS interventions and using data to support special education placement decisions. Additionally, the study supports the need for continued research using the data collected from implementing interventions to help IEP team members determine appropriate placements for African American students.