The paper proposes changes from the present categorically based special education service delivery system to a curriculum-based service delivery system. Set forth are problems currently associated with designating students as learning disabled (LD), distinguishing them from those who are simply underachievers or have other handicapping conditions, and developing appropriate programs to address their needs. While the teacher referral process, a key element of the former system, would remain essentially intact, the curriculum-based assessment duties would be shared primarily by the school psychologist and the resource teacher. Screening system components would include kindergarten screening, referrals by teacher nomination, the Stanford Achievement Test, report card data, core curriculum assessment, vision and hearing screening, and transfer student screening. Evaluation of screening data would lead to three possible outcomes: (1) regular program status covering most students with no further special education assessment or intervention scheduled; (2) at-risk status leading to pre-referral interventions and possibly to more extensive special education involvement; or (3) special program consideration for the small minority of students whose screening information indicates severe difficulty. For these students, traditional assessment procedures would be implemented and a more restrictive placement considered. (VW)