African American youths are often overrepresented in programs for the mentally retarded. Possible explanations for this phenomenon include stereotypes related to abilities, different social and educational environments, and problems of instrumentation used in identifying mental retardation. This study reviewed the files of all first- through fifth-grade students in a large midwestern city who had already been identified as mentally retarded and placed in special education in order to determine how often that district's own criteria for placement were precisely met, and, when they were not, the reasons for the deviations. Findings show a significant difference in the rates of placement using precise criteria between African American and white students. In addition, significant differences were also found in the rationale for the placement where precise criteria were not followed. (Contains 3 tables.)