VoL 70, No. 2, pp. 185-199. @2004 Councilfor Exceptional Children. D-isproportionate Representatio n of lino rity Students in Special ducatin: Academic, Demographi can Economic Predictors JOHN L. HOSPt University of Utah DANIEL J. RESCHLY Vanderbilt University ABSTRACT: Research on variables that predict disproportionate representation of minority students in special education has often ignored an important variable-academic achievement. This study examined the prediction of representation of students from various minority racial/ethnic groups using district-level academic, demographic, and economic blocks of variables. The relative strength of these blocks was tested using weighted multiple least squares regression. The results show that academic achievement added significantly to predictive models for various racial/ethnic groups and disability categories. Implications and directionsforffuture research are also discussed, rior research has established the statistical significance of several predictors of disproportionate representation of children from certain minority groups in spe- cial education programs for students with mental retardation and emotional -disturbance (e.g., Finn, 1982; Oswald, Coutinho, Best, & Singh, 1999). The variables investigated thus far can be classified into two broad categories: demographic and economic characteristics of children and/or school districts. Educators have little control over these variables. A significant weakness in the re- search is the exclusion of variables that are more directly related to special education eligibility de- cision making and to factors that are alterable through the efforts of educators. In this study, achievement variables were added to the demo- graphic and economic variables used previously in an effort to better understand patterns of dis- proportionate representation of minority students in special education. Moreover, additional racial/ ethnic groups (i.e., American Indian, Asian/Pa- cific Islander, and Latino) were added in this analysis as well as the disability category of learn- Exceptional Children 185