In this commentary, I highlight key insights from research on learning disabilities (LD) reported in this special issue. Authors of each article describe innovative work that is expanding frontiers of LD knowledge, by focusing on vulnerable and understudied populations, using multiple methodologies and data sources, and building and refining…

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) believes it is essential to define giftedness in a way that both reflects best thinking in the field and moves beyond a focus on identification criteria to a deeper understanding of the complex nature of giftedness and the multi-faceted approach to services required to appropriately serve…

In this important resource, educators will find evidence-based best practices to help them address the individual needs of English learners with academic challenges and those who have been referred for special education services. The authors make the case that systems can be put in place at three levels to help English learners succeed: the…

In this professional development research brief, the author sets forth the overarching considerations that should be kept in mind when conceptualizing professional development for educators working with neglected or delinquent youth (N or D). The brief begins by defining professional development and demonstrating why it is a critical support for…

Recently in a "New York Times" op-ed entitled "Is Special Education Racist?" Morgan and Farkas (2015) confront conventional wisdom that there are too many minority students in special education stating, "The real problem is that Black children are underrepresented in special education classes when compared with White…

In 2017, the National Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Neglected or Delinquent Children and Youth (NDTAC) released its first in a series of professional development briefs that focus on the professional development needs and interests of Neglected or Delinquent (N or D) State coordinators, correctional educators, and providers of…

The Census 2000 Brief (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2004b) indicates that English is not the heritage language of approximately one in five Americans, and the number of limited English proficient (LEP) students, also known as English language learners (ELLs), grew about 50 percent in the last decade. It is estimated that nearly 400,000 ELL…

Educational systems have set a goal of 85 percent--impressive, when measured against 50 percent graduation rates half a century ago, but still, a 15 percent non-completion rate. A disproportionate number of students who do not complete high school are special education students, and least half of those are identified with learning disabilities…

A new generation of Hispanic students are at risk due to inadequacies in our educational system. The inadequacies which include lack of prepared teachers and misuse of testing and assessment procedures impact special education programs, in particular, when one examines practices relative to Latino students in the area of learning disabilities. The…

Research confirms that students with disabilities (e.g., emotional and behavioral disabilities, learning disabilities, and developmental delays) are overrepresented in correctional facilities across the United States. The literature suggests several reasons for the overrepresentation of students with disabilities in the correctional system: (a)…

This article is one in a series developed by NASP's African American Subcommittee for school psychologists and other educators working with culturally and linguistically diverse student populations. In this article, part one of two addressing disproportionality, the subcommittee presents an overview of the problem of disproportionate…

The main tenant of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reauthorization was improving student outcomes through the use of evidence-based interventions. A particularly interesting aspect that found its way into the legislation was the eligibility process. Current methods of eligibility identification for students with learning…

This article is one in a series developed by members of NASP's African American Subcommittee of the Multicultural Affairs Committee for school psychologists and other educators working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) student populations. Last month, we introduced the problem of disproportionality in special education in part one…

As a prelude to the reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004, President Bush charged a Commission on Excellence in Special Education with evaluating the current status of special education on the national, state, and local levels. One of the Commission's recommendations concerned the need to implement and…

Continuing unresolved problems in the field of special education include the continued use of discrepancy models; the need for better identification models; continued debate over programmatic issues, ranging from inclusion to self-contained models; and the continued overrepresentation of certain ethnic and racial groups in the learning…