Universal screening is a critical component of school-based prevention systems. Screening data enable educators to target students for supplemental intervention, align resources to meet needs, and identify students who may be at risk for learning disabilities. One major requirement of the screening process is that all students are included to gain…

The role of classroom teachers in the early detection of learning difficulty/disability in school children cannot be ignored. When it comes to young children's literacy learning, there is substantial consensus that the teacher is the primary assessment agent (Johnston & Rogers, 2002). But classroom teachers also have a lot of responsibilities…

States and districts have been encouraged to consider responsiveness to scientifically based instruction and intervention (RTI) as one of many markers of eligibility for special education under the category of learning disabilities. In this article, the authors describe variations in determining responsiveness, and cultural and linguistic…

The most salient difficulty in assessing English language learner (ELL) students who exhibit academic difficulties is identifying whether the problem is one of English proficiency or of a learning disability. In many cases, the symptoms are shared and difficult to disentangle, but obtaining a comprehensive picture of the child is vital for…

The Responsiveness to Intervention (RI) model for diagnosing learning disabilities has been proposed as an alternative to previous definitions. Given the importance of reliable and valid assessment in the instructional process, assessment must be a crucial aspect of any RI approach. Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) has been discussed in previous…

The new Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) offers local education agencies the choice of using a student's response to intervention (RTI) as a major component to determine eligibility for special education under the category of specific learning disabilities (SLD). Using a RTI model, it is not expected that different…

A study examined relationships between reading fluency and comprehension by having 49 students (grades 3-4) orally read four passages with an incrementally increased percentage of scrambled words. A suggested criterion of approximately 50 words/minute was found using the mean fluency rate of the highest passage of demonstrated adequate…

Standardized, norm-referenced measures of achievement, phonological processing measures, and curriculum-based measures of reading fluency were used with 40 children (Grades 1-2), including 20 children with reading disabilities. All measures were found to correlate significantly with each other; however, correlations were generally in the moderate…

This executive summary discusses the definition of learning disabilities (LD) and how students are identified as having a learning disability. It begins by outlining four major methods that are used to compute the discrepancy-based definition of LD and the flaws of the discrepancy-based model. It then describes an approach to defining LD that is…

A discussion of language disorders that often occur with learning disabilities focuses on definitions, characteristics, alternative assessment methods, and service delivery models and interventions. Use of standardized test batteries, curriculum-based language assessment, and portfolio assessment is reviewed. Principles and methods to enhance…

Current issues in the assessment of students with learning disabilities are identified, including use of physiological and neuropsychological measures, discrepancy criteria, curriculum-based measurement, dynamic assessment, performance and portfolio assessment, and assessment of learning disabilities in bilingual and multicultural contexts.…

This paper reports the findings of a study that explored the validity of curriculum-based measures of reading in order to develop a valid and practical instrument for regular education teachers as well as special education teachers in Korea. Participants in the study were 213 students from 7 elementary schools in Seoul, Korea. Of the total, 183…

This paper reports on the findings of a longitudinal study that investigated the trends in reading growth for 49 elementary students with severe reading difficulties. The students received special education services in a large Midwestern city in which curriculum-based measurement (CBM) procedures were implemented fully. The study began when the…

This article considers current educational trends that may undermine the service delivery system for individuals with severe learning disabilities, including influence of terminology, teacher-training models, full inclusion, curriculum-based assessment, reliance on quantitative decision making, adherence to singular teaching methodologies, and…

This report synthesizes the key themes and ideas discussed at two 1-day workshops addressing issues in the use of IQ tests in special education evaluation and placement. The first section considers the background and legal context of the issue. The next section looks at IQ tests in school settings. Key ideas raised include the importance of never…