LibGuides: PED606 Foundation in School Psych: Module 4

Lesson 9

Larry P. Versus Riles Court Case
Anderson, T. A. (2015). Larry P. versus Riles court case
This video presentation goes over the history and information regarding the Landmark Larry P case. The presenter notes that there were initially 6 Black students who identified as being mentally retarded and placed in Educationally Mentally Retarded (EMR) classes. These classes were focused on the students learning a trade and were not connected to the curriculum. The family of one student (Larry P) challenged the decision of the school psychologist and the district and took their case to court. Part of the concern was due to the disproportionate number of Black students in the EMR class. There was an argument that the district and superintendent violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment based on the premise of discrimination. The presentation notes the background, timeline of the case and concern, and the facts of the case. The presentation also discusses the critiques of the IQ tests that were being used. Local Black psychologists tested Black students and did not come up with the same results. The court eventually ruled that the district had to address and eliminate the disproportionate placement of minority students in special education, that IQ tests could no longer be used to identify and place minority students in special education classes, and that all students who were placed in EMR classes as a result of cognitive assessments had to be reassessed. Issues and implications of this ruling are also discussed.
Larry P. vs. Riles (Real Video)
Saucedo, E. (2017). Larry P. vs. Riles (real video).
This short video summarizes the issues of Larry P. v. Riles. The presentation notes that the state of California was looking for ways to identify students who were struggling. The video states that California was trying to figure out how to determine which students should go into specialized classroom settings, and thus essentially, removing the lower performing students from the general education classroom. The state gave IQ tests to students to determine which students would go into the specialized classrooms. It was determined that the IQ test was discriminatory as it disproportionately placed African American students in the specialized classes that were not comparable to the general education curriculum. The separation of the majority of African American students created issues as the general education classrooms were filled with primarily White students. The parents of Larry P. sued the school based on discriminatory practices citing the equal protections act under the 14th Amendment. The court found the tests to be culturally biased and ordered the stoppage of IQ tests for African American Children.
Sacremento City School District v. Rachel H.
Boehm, S. (2018). Sacremento City School District v. Rachel H.
This presentation notes that Rachel was tested with IQ of 44. It is noted that Rachel had multiple special education classes. Rachel’s parents wanted to increase her time in a general education classroom. The district said no and suggested splitting general education settings and special education settings causing her to move classes several times a day. The general education settings consisted of non-academic engagement such as lunch, and recess. Rachel’s parents appealed the district’s decision to the state level. The initial ruling was that the district did not make an effort to educate Rachel in a general education class. The district was ordered to place Rachel in a general education class with support. The district appealed and was denied their request. The case continued over several years. The final court ruling said that Rachel should be in the general education classroom with supports. This presentation notes the four-factor test that must be adhered to when determining to place a student in a general education classroom.

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