When the Equity in IDEA policy was released in December 2016, its stated purpose was to address the “significant disproportionality in the identification, placement and discipline of students with disabilities based on race or ethnicity.” The concern was the need for a standard method for the reporting data because the wide range of methods used could, in some cases, hide the “significant disproportionality” of students of color placed in special education settings apart from their peers. The regulations were also intended to shine a clearer light on discipline practices that may unfairly target students of color, an action that could reinforce a school-to-prison pipeline.
