March 20, 2025 Story by: Editor
Decatur, GA — The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) is reviewing how City Schools of Decatur (CSD) identifies students for special education, following concerns that Black students have been disproportionately placed in these programs.
“Currently, the City Schools of Decatur is under state oversight for our disproportionate identification of Black students, specifically, for special education,” Superintendent Dr. Gyimah Whitaker stated during a school board meeting.
A CSD spokesperson acknowledged that this issue has been ongoing for several years. However, they clarified that the district is not under investigation but is receiving targeted support from the GaDOE. Decaturish has filed a records request to gather more details about the state’s oversight.
Whitaker noted that the district has not been fully implementing certain essential processes, including Child Find, which is designed to ensure that all children with disabilities who need special education services are properly identified.
According to a fact sheet from GaDOE, “Child Find refers to the policies and procedures in each state that ensure that all children with disabilities, birth through age 21, who live in the state and are in need of special education and related services or early intervention services are identified, located and evaluated.”
Last school year, the GaDOE identified a seven-year trend showing that Black students in Decatur were disproportionately placed in special education, particularly under the category of Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD).
“This means that a higher proportion of Black students in CSD are placed in special education compared to other racial or ethnic groups,” the CSD spokesperson explained.
To address the issue, the Department of Education has conducted site visits to analyze its root causes, and CSD is awaiting feedback on the targeted support it will receive.
“Significant Disproportionality status is an indication of the equity work that needs to be done in the schools,” the CSD spokesperson noted. “The All In Decatur Strategic Plan calls for equity to be interwoven in everything we do.”
As part of its response, CSD is introducing three new equitable outcomes positions. These staff members will work across elementary schools to enhance student support and improve the multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) process. Whitaker clarified that these will not be central office staff roles.
“These individuals will help have the key conversations that need to be had from an equity standpoint around students,” Whitaker stated at the board meeting. “It’s some support that is necessary, and because, from an equity standpoint, you should not have the over-identification of special education students, specifically Black students.”
Source: Decaturish
