An examination of service delivery to Black high school students with exceptionalities through a systems-based Afrocentric communication model

This research study examined both the current status of special education services and the organizational communication model of the special education system in terms of its characteristics, effectiveness levels, and cultural appropriateness at two high school programs in Washington, D.C. The researcher also investigated whether teachers, related service providers, and administrators were utilizing elements of Afrocentric communication when engaging in communication exchanges with one another, parents, and students. The target population included two high school special education programs in a large urban city in the eastern part of the United States, where at least 70 percent of the students enrolled in these schools are of Black descent. Sample groups include 4 administrators, 18 teachers, 2 related service providers, and 6 parents of Black students with exceptionalities. Instruments utilized in this study include the Perceptions of Special Education Services Parent Survey (PSESPS), the ICA Communication Audit, focus group protocols created for the purposes of this investigation, and the Elements of Afrocentric Communication Checklist.;An analysis of the data revealed a relationship between the functionality of the organizational communication model and the quality of the special education system at the two school locations. Further, elements of Afrocentric communication, namely the values of equality, powerlessness, and collective voice were present in the organizational communication model and corresponded to satisfaction with communication exchanges. Finally, the Afrocentric presence in the organizational communication model supported the notion that culture-relevance and appropriateness is a legitimate consideration in the design of the school-based special education systems.