Learning disabled students (N=638), students receiving remedial Chapter 1 instruction (N=451), and regular students (N=2,337) were sorted by reading skill level. Reading achievement emerged as the best single predictor of group membership supporting school social policy of allocation of service delivery on the basis of classroom achievement.…

The recommendations in the National Academy of Sciences' report "Placing Children in Special Education" are critiqued. The feasibility of its implementation is challenged in such areas as treatment of disproportionate placement, legal and professional policy barriers to implementation, and the role of courts in resolving scientific…

Alternatives to I.Q. testing have been developed in the Detroit Public Schools as a way to improve educational services and avoid the biased placement of Black students in special education programs. The new procedures involve the collaboration of a team that is specially trained to use multifaceted approaches to assessment. (VM)

Longitudinal case studies of seven teachers in grades three, four, and five were conducted to determine teachers' use of curriculum-embedded tests in elementary mathematics instruction. Results indicated that among the three ways tests are used (student placement, content decisions, and student evaluation), student placement provided the most…

A study of 61 preservice teachers in K-6 classrooms investigated the subjects' overall attitude toward mainstreaming, their confidence in their ability to work with handicapped children, and their attitude toward the role of the regular teacher in special education evaluation and placement. (MT)

This article identifies the visually handicapped population, discusses their special educational needs, and considers the educational program in terms of their assessment, placement, individualized education programs, and needs for educational aids. (CB)

Critical issues such as unbiased assessment and expected incidence of students with emotional and behavior disorders are addressed in terms of such issues as unbiased assessment. Recommended practices are described in terms of a five-step process to aid in determining eligibility and making placement decisions. (CL)

Redressing the overrepresentation of Black students in certain special education classrooms involves (1) working to improve the identification and placement process; (2) helping parents to become more knowledgeable consumers of the educational system; (3) using the courts to defend Black and disabled students' rights; and (4) developing community…

To determine whether the preponderance of males in classrooms for the learning disabled (LD) constitutes sexual discrimination, an objective index involving the discrepancy between expected and actual achievement was calculated for each student. No evidence was found to indicate sexual bias in diagnostic and placement practices. (Author/ABB)

Describes a study conducted at DeKalb Community College to compare placement levels established by the college's in-house Reading, English and Mathematics (REM) Test with Scholastic Aptitude Test scores. Discusses REM placement levels and their course alignments, internal challenges to the placement levels, and correlation study findings. (DMM)

Examined the use of estimated learning potential (ELP) in the reevaluation of special education students (N=120). Determined the percentage of students who would be classified mentally retarded according to the criterion of: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised scores, ELP scores, or multidisciplinary teams' placement. (BH)

A federal court awarded attorney fees in a P.L. 94-142 case on the basis of violation of a handicapped student's due process rights, and the U.S. Surpeme Court will review another P.L. 94-142 case that could have an impact on special education budgets. (DCS)

Factors influencing change in the population served under the label of mild retardation and the effects of the overall functional levels of mildly retarded students are examined. (Author/CL)

A study determining that a single test incorporating several special features can adequately place and evaluate native speakers and nonnative learners of Spanish is described. The description of native speaker proficiency is also refined. (MSE)

The authors cite recent findings of minority overrepresentation in programs for the educable mentally handicapped, and examine the status in New Jersey of two federally regulated procedures to prevent bias, multidisciplinary team decision making, and adaptive behavior assessment. (Author/MC)