TY - JOUR
T1 - A Multilevel Investigation into Contextual Reliability in the Designation of Cognitive Health Conditions among U.S. Children
AU - Shifrer, Dara
AU - Fish, Rachel
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This project benefited from support from the Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC), which is directed by Dr. Ruth López Turley and funded by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and Houston Endowment Inc. This project benefited from the assistance of school district staff and HERC staff, particularly Noe Perez, Holly Heard, and Jing Li. This study also benefited from suggestions from Drs. Angela Frederick, Anna Mueller, Jennifer Pearson, and Carrie Shandra.
Publisher Copyright:
© American Sociological Association 2019.
PY - 2020/7/1
Y1 - 2020/7/1
N2 - Unreliable diagnoses (e.g., based on inconsistent criteria, subjective) may be inaccurate and even inequitable. This study uses an event history approach with yearly child- and school-level data from 378,919 children in a large urban school district in the southwestern United States between 2006–2007 and 2011–2012 to investigate contextual reliability in the designation of cognitive health conditions (e.g., autism, learning disabilities). This study’s findings suggest the likelihood of designation is higher in schools with more resources (higher teacher-to-student ratio, student population with more resources at home, charter school or magnet program), controlling on student-level differences. Cross-level interactions suggest children’s likelihood of designation also may be higher if they are distinctive relative to other students in their school, sometimes even in terms of nonclinical qualities (race, English Learner status).
AB - Unreliable diagnoses (e.g., based on inconsistent criteria, subjective) may be inaccurate and even inequitable. This study uses an event history approach with yearly child- and school-level data from 378,919 children in a large urban school district in the southwestern United States between 2006–2007 and 2011–2012 to investigate contextual reliability in the designation of cognitive health conditions (e.g., autism, learning disabilities). This study’s findings suggest the likelihood of designation is higher in schools with more resources (higher teacher-to-student ratio, student population with more resources at home, charter school or magnet program), controlling on student-level differences. Cross-level interactions suggest children’s likelihood of designation also may be higher if they are distinctive relative to other students in their school, sometimes even in terms of nonclinical qualities (race, English Learner status).
KW - contested diagnoses
KW - disabilities
KW - institutions
KW - sociology of diagnosis
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U2 - 10.1177/2156869319847243
DO - 10.1177/2156869319847243
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85067654762
SN - 2156-8693
VL - 10
SP - 180
EP - 197
JO - Society and Mental Health
JF - Society and Mental Health
IS - 2
ER -