A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Special Education Referral Process: A case study

In this article, I explore a case study of the special education referral process as an institutional site of exploring the intersection of power, discourse and subjectivities. I engage with critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) (Fairclough, Critical Discourse Analysis: the critical study of language , New York, Longman, 1995; Language and Power , London, Longman, 1989) as an analytic and social tool to uncover the webs of discursive practices involved in institutional decision-making. I focus on the process through which identities are constructed through discourse. I present three different interpretations from the beginning of the referral process: (1) the classroom teacher, (2) the remedial reading teacher, and (3) the parent of the child who was referred. In juxtaposing these interview texts I demonstrate how the teachers and June Treader, the parent, perceive the intention of the referral process differently. The school views the referral process as definitive while the mother views the referral as exploratory, to learn more about her daughter. I call on CDA--particularly the domains of discourse and style--as a means to explore and explain the differences in assumptions at the beginning of the referral process. This analysis demonstrates that despite the differences in interpretation at the beginning of the process there is remarkable similarity between the three participants around the values, beliefs and assumptions of 'schooled literacy'. This research suggests the need to expand on frameworks that conceptualize 'conflict' between discourse practices to consider the consequences of alignment.