When Good Intentions Go Awry: A Critical Policy Analysis of Equity-Focused Policies Intended to Reduce Racial Disparities in Special Education

In the U.S. education system, students of color experience multiple forms of marginalization at the intersection of markers of difference. These injustices manifest in multiple forms, such as higher rates of inappropriate referrals to special education, misidentification, conferring stigmatizing labels, and subsequently placing students of color in more segregated spaces. To combat this persistent racial injustice within special education practices and programs, policymakers have formulated regulations under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) aimed at ensuring equal educational opportunities and outcomes for students of color. In particular, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs introduced 20 State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) indicators in 2004 to monitor states' implementation of IDEA. Building upon an interdisciplinary and intersectional lens informed by the cultural historical approach to disability, critical policy analysis in education, and disability critical race theory, this systematic literature review synthesizes 19 studies investigating local policy actors’ enactment of IDEA policies related to SPP/APR indicators, which were designed to address racial inequities in special education. The findings reveal that local policy actors’ interpretations, negotiations, and implementations of equity-intended special education policies are intricately tied to the situated cultural and political dynamics, making the process multifaceted and deeply contextual.