Related Experiment Videos
Teacher perceptions of differences among elementary students with and without learning disabilities in referred
T Oakland1, M D Shermis, M Coleman
1The University of Texas, Austin 78712-1299.
Journal of Learning Disabilities
|October 1, 1990
Summary
Identifying students with learning disabilities (LD) is challenging. New scales identified specific classroom behaviors that help differentiate students with LD from their peers, improving identification accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Special Education
- Learning Disabilities Research
Background:
- Current methods for identifying students with learning disabilities (LD) face significant conceptual and procedural challenges.
- Difficulties include operationalizing definitions and making data-based eligibility decisions for LD identification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address challenges in LD identification, the Texas Education Agency formed a task force.
- The task force aimed to identify specific classroom behaviors differentiating students with LD from non-disabled peers.
Main Methods:
- Two scales, each with 83 items, were developed and piloted across 70 school districts.
- Discriminant factor analyses were employed to identify significant factors and subscales.
Main Results:
- Five significant factors or subscales were identified through the analyses.
- Two subscales and 18 individual items effectively discriminated between students later classified as LD and those referred but not classified.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights the potential of specific behavioral indicators for improving LD identification.
- Further research is warranted to investigate behaviors that distinguish students with and without LD for more accurate assessment.