County forced to revamp special ed for African Americans

Saying county schools have been too quick to label African-American students "mentally retarded" or emotionally disturbed, the state is ordering $2.1 million in federal special education funds redirected to help the kids before they're separated from the student population.

Anne Arundel also has too many minority students who aren't in mainstream classes and too many being suspended for more than 10 days, said Carol Ann Baglin, an assistant superintendent with the Maryland Department of Education.

State standards require that the number of African Americans identified as retarded or disturbed should be proportional to their...