The Identification of Special Educational Needs and the Month of Birth: Differential Effects of Category of Need and Level of Assessment

Autor/inn/en	Squires, Garry; Humphrey, Neil; Barlow, Alexandra; Wigelsworth, Michael
Titel	The Identification of Special Educational Needs and the Month of Birth: Differential Effects of Category of Need and Level of Assessment
Quelle	In: European Journal of Special Needs Education, 27 (2012) 4, S.469-481 (13 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0885-6257
DOI	10.1080/08856257.2012.711961
Schlagwörter	Learning Problems; Students; Foreign Countries; Special Needs Students; Disability Identification; Student Needs; Individual Differences; Labeling (of Persons); Age Differences; Birth; Classification; Elementary School Students; Secondary School Students; Student Characteristics; United Kingdom (England) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Lernproblem; Student; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Ausland; Sonderpädagogischer Förderbedarf; Individueller Unterschied; Labeling-Ansatz; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Geburt; Classification system; Klassifikation; Klassifikationssystem; Sekundarschüler
Abstract	The processes around the identification of special educational needs (SEN) should mean that those pupils who need most help receive it. However, there are concerns that this process is not working and there is an over-identification of pupils with SEN. Previous international research has shown that summer-born children are more likely to be identified as having SEN. However, these studies tend to treat SEN as a homogenous group. In this paper, we explore the extent to which the month-of-birth effect can be seen in subgroups of SEN. A survey of 450 schools in England was undertaken to explore the levels of provision and categories of SEN for 15,640 pupils. This led to differential month-of-birth effects being noted in category of SEN, with moderate learning difficulties being most susceptible. We hypothesise that teachers may be labelling younger children within the year group on the basis of political aspirations of attainments to be reached by the end of the academic year. When more thorough, multiprofessional assessments are undertaken, the month-of-birth effect is no longer evident. This has clear implications for assessment; identification; allocation of scarce educational resources; for educational policy on monitoring school performance and initial teacher training. (Contains 5 tables and 5 figures.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10