The extent to which reading achievement is causally impacted by eligibility for special education services due to a learning disability (LD) or speech or language impairment (SLI) is currently unclear. In this registered report, we analyzed U.S. national data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Kindergarten Cohort of 2010-2011 (ECLS-K:…

It is estimated that about 7.3 million (or about 15%) public school students are currently enrolled in Special Education in the United States, and their enrollment has increased steadily over the past decade (U.S. Department of Education 2023). Students in Special Education can be labeled as 'different' and/or 'disabled'. These labels may be…

This study examines the impact of special education on academic and behavioral outcomes for students with learning disabilities (LD) by using statewide Indiana data covering kindergarten through eighth grade. The results from student fixed effects models show that special education services improve achievement in math and English Language Arts,…

Currently 15 percent of U.S. students receive special education services, a widespread intensive intervention with variable effects on students. Spurred by changes in federal policy, many states and districts have begun adopting the Response to Intervention (RTI) approach to identifying students to receive special education services. RTI seeks to…

Research on racial and linguistic disparities in disability identification must be grounded on the dual nature of disability as an object of protection and a tool of stratification. This dual nature requires a situated research approach to understand the stratifying power of disability--Who is targeted? Where? How? By whom and to what…

This study examines autism diagnosis prevalence within the New York City (NYC) Universal Pre-K for All (UPK) program expansion into racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse NYC neighborhoods. Here, it is hypothesized that racial/ethnic differences in autism diagnoses may close as more children are referred for testing by UPK programs,…

Human capital theory suggests that lifetime income and socioeconomic status is a function of investments in human capital (Becker, 1962 & 1994; Becker & Tomes, 1986; Tomes, 1981). More recent developments show that human capital accumulation depends on mental health (Fletcher, 2008), in addition to ability, and access to resources to…

Response to intervention (RTI) is a method for providing academic support to students and for identifying specific learning disabilities (SLDs). Using interrupted time series and hazard models, we examined if statewide RTI adoption in the U.S. state of Tennessee was associated with changes in rates of SLD and first-time SLD identification in…

Asian American students are underrepresented in special education, a state of affairs that threatens their access to academic resources. We propose that student race may influence educators' likelihood of recommending them for special education services. In two studies, participants working in the field of education (total N = 1195) read a…

Student involvement is integral to transition planning for students with learning disabilities (LD). However, only a small body of research has examined the perspectives of high school students with LD related to this process. We conducted a systematic literature review and subsequent metasynthesis of 14 studies that met criteria and quality…

Despite decades of research, much is still unknown regarding how specific learning disability (SLD) identification decisions are made, particularly how language related to sociodemographic and psychosocial factors may impact decision-making. This study employed the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) method to examine the language used in…

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors associated with academic achievement in at-risk high school students attending one of four charter schools in south Florida geared toward dropout prevention. Several factors were identified through a thorough review of the literature to identify the common demographic variables associated with…

In the 40-plus years since the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act," special education has grown in the number of students and amount spent on services. Despite this growth, academic performance of students with disabilities remains troublingly low compared to general education students. To some extent, these differences reflect…

This qualitative case study focuses on implementations of response to intervention (RTI) to help African American and Hispanic students with learning disabilities in mathematics. The research problem addresses the achievement gap in mathematical competency's for African American and Hispanic students diagnosed with specific learning disabilities…

Academic acceleration, which enhances challenges for academically gifted students, can be subject-based or whole-grade. Limited research has explored its application in the twice-exceptional population, where students possess notable cognitive strengths and challenges due to psychological diagnoses. Our clinical study investigates the likelihood…