The authors assert that despite accomplishments of P.L. 94-142 in its 10 years, there are still many concerns remaining. Lack of effectiveness data and unsolved questions in diagnosis and classification are among fundamental problems. (CL)

The psychoeducational processes school diagnosticians use in decisions about students were studied. Bogus referral problem information for one of 16 "cases" was provided: assessment data indicated average performance. Fifty-two percent of the subjects recommended special education for the average child; these decisions were a function of referral…

A school district made identification decisions for 51 students referred because of academic difficulties; 24 students were learning disabled. The school identification decisions, based on application of a severe discrepancy on the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery, did not correlate with decisions based on the federal definition of…

The article addresses the usefulness of the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) in assessing various levels of arithmetic performance. The mathematics subtest of the PIAT is considered in terms of purpose; mathematical abilities subsections (foundations, basic facts, applications); diagnostic testing (the error analysis matrix); and poor…

In this comment to a paper by S. Braaten (EC 210 835), in which the Regular Education Initiative (REI) was described as a "patent medicine" for students with behavioral disorders, it is argued that such students are not misidentified or inappropriately placed and that the REI has been misinterpreted and may work. (JDD)

A review of the history and current status of screening and differential diagnosis in the field of learning disabilities concludes that continued efforts at refinements in diagnosis/classification are unproductive. The authors offer a variety of concrete recommendations from a data-based perspective to make appropriate educational experiences…

Initially school personnel tended to select devices with technically adequate reliability and validity. As decision making continued, technically inadequate devices were selected more often. More emphasis on the importance of technically adequate assessment devices is needed in training school professionals. (Author)

Ability-achievement discrepancies were analyzed using the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery, WISC-R, and the Peabody Individual Achievement Test administered to a sample of low achievers. Reliabilities of difference scores were moderately high. Reliabilities of differences for devices normed on both the same and different populations…

Evaluated the extent to which similar decisions concerning student placement were made by multidisciplinary team members based on varying amounts of assessment information. Found that individuals who reviewed large amounts of information made decisions similar to those who reviewed little information. Found about half the decisions accurate.…

This article defends research evaluating similarities and differences in psychometric performances of students with learning disabilities (LD) and students with low achievement (LA), which concluded that psychometric test performance alone was an insufficient basis for differential diagnosis. Recent criticism of the research by Kenneth Kavale and…

Based on presentations given at a 1989 conference, this booklet offers a literature-based perspective on systematic screening procedures and functional assessment procedures to facilitate services to students with emotional and behavioral disorders. The following topics are addressed: assessment decisions (in the areas of classification,…