Forty years have passed since the "Larry P. v. Riles" (1979) decision prohibiting the use of standardized intelligence quotient (IQ) tests to assess African American children in California for special education. While the "Larry P." case has governed the assessment practices of school psychologists for so many years, yet little…

A court decision in California, Larry P. v. Riles (1979) case, ruled in favor of African American students who were disproportionately and wrongly placed in special education (E.M.R. -- educable mentally retarded) classes. Standardized intelligence tests were biased, discriminatory and failed to identify the academic need to support African…

The Larry P. v. Riles case highlighted the disproportional representation of Black students in special education and called for the need of fair and nondiscriminatory psychological and educational evaluations. Despite the longstanding ban of the use of cognitive assessments with Black children in the state of California, Black children continue to…

As editors for this special journal, Graves and Woods have compiled a discussion of the accuracy of the labels for Black children. It is exciting that they have brought together a team of scholars to tackle the very specific question posed by Hilliard (1991) and Guthrie (1976/2002) about the validity of IQ testing in regards to accurately and…

Racial/ethnic bias in the prediction of students' educational potential was questioned in the Larry P. Vs. Riles case. The construct and predictive validity of the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ IV; Schrank et al. 2014b) have not been examined for racial/ethnic bias. This study extended Keith's (1999) examination of bias…

African American male students are disproportionately represented in special education. The purpose of the current study is to examine the disproportionality of African American male students who are referred to special education programs and are identified special education services, specifically in the areas of Emotional Disturbance (ED),…

Other than being African American, little is known of Larry, the lead plaintiff in the legal case known as "Larry P. v. Riles" in 1971, which banned the use of standardized intelligence testing on African-American students in the State of California. As a result of such intelligence testing, Larry was diagnosed as being mildly mentally…

A little over 35 years have passed since the original "Larry P." decision was handed down in 1979 by Robert Peckham, a federal judge for the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The "Larry P. case" is a shorthand moniker that refers to a class action lawsuit, supported by the Bay Area Association of Black…

This focus of this paper is to present an overview of the current research which examines the language and literacy performance of African American children who speak African American Vernacular English (AAVE), as presented from a deficit versus difference perspective. Language and literacy and assessment and remediation of AAVE speakers are…

Despite the fact that disability has been recognized as "a natural part of the human experience" (Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000) and that the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 and its later reauthorizations as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) should have served…

Among the most-longstanding and intransigent issues in the field, the disproportionate representation of minority students in special education programs has its roots in a long history of educational segregation and discrimination. Although national estimates of disproportionality have been consistent over time, state and local estimates may show…

Asa Hilliard has left his mark, and his name belongs in the pantheon of esteemed African American scholars, educational researchers, teachers, and activists. Although his work has served as a clarion call for an Afrocentric orientation in psychology and education to address the needs of African American students, his contributions to the field's…

The overrepresentation of students of color in special education continues to be a prevalent, disturbing, and heavily debated problem in this country. What remains is the reality that a large number of African American students continue to be referred and placed in special education programs. On the heels of 2 reports commissioned by the National…