Objective and subjective factors in the disproportionate referral of children for academic problems

R. S. Drabman, K. J. Tarnowski, and P. A. Kelly (1987) and K. J. Tarnowski, D. F. Anderson, R. S. Drabman, and P. A. Kelly (1990) examined children's month of birth in relation to referral for psychological services and found that younger children in the classroom were disproportionately referred for services. No differences were found between younger and older students on standardized measures of intelligence or academic achievement. Results of a replication and extension of these studies indicated (a) that younger children in the classroom were referred at a disproportionately higher rate, (b) that the referral pattern could not be explained by differences in children's competencies, (c) that Caucasian students were referred at disproportinately higher rates than minority students, and (d) a trend in which the proportionate referral rate of students as height or weight increased. Results are discussed within the context of teacher expectancies.