Dear Friends,

In collaboration with six partners, NCLD is proud to announce the release of three new resources to improve the evaluation process for students who may have specific learning disabilities (SLD). We hope these resources are useful to your members or to the communities you serve who work with students who have SLD.

Earlier this year, we released a set of eight principles<https://www.ncld.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Eligibility-for-Special-Education-under-a-Specific-Learning-Disability-Classification-Final.pdf> that should guide any evaluation process for students suspected of having SLD. And while we recognize that each state has its own way of determining if a child is eligible for special education due to having SLD, many districts struggle with common challenges. There’s room for improvement in the identification process—no matter which approach they’re using.

We’re excited to announce a new series, “Principles for SLD Eligibility: Practice & Policy Considerations for States and School Districts<http://www.ncld.org/SLDeligibility>.” The topics include:

  *   A Comprehensive Evaluation for a Child Suspected to Have SLD<https://www.ncld.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/P1-A-Comprehensive-Evaluation-for-Special-Education-for-a-Child-Suspected-to-Have-a-Specific-Learning-Disability.D3.pdf>
  *   Selective Use of Data on Cognitive Assessments Within an Evaluation<https://www.ncld.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/P2-Selective-Use-of-Data-on-Cognitive-Assessments-Within-a-Special-Education-Evaluation-for-a-Child-Suspected-to-Have-a-Specific-Learning-Disability.D3.pdf>
  *   Effective Use of Instructional Response Data in an Evaluation<https://www.ncld.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/P3-Effective-Use-of-Instructional-Response-Data-in-Evaluation-for-Special-Education-Due-to-a-Specific-Learning-Disability.D3.pdf>

States and districts play important roles in setting up the infrastructure necessary for high-quality identification practices. We’re excited to share three comprehensive resources that highlight policy and practice considerations to support the implementation of the eight principles and to encourage high-quality identification and evaluation processes.

The resources were developed in partnership by the following organizations:

  *   Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE)
  *   Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
  *   Council for Learning Disabilities (CLD)
  *   Division for Learning Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children (DLD)
  *   National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
  *   National Association of State Directors of Special Education  (NASDSE)
  *   National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)

This network of national organizations recognizes the need to tackle persistent challenges related to eligibility for special education and identifying students with SLD. We will continue to serve as resources to states and districts that seek to improve their policies and practices in this area.

We encourage you to share the resources with your network. Please reach out to me if you have other questions or would like to discuss this work.

Warm Regards,
Meghan

_________________________________________

Meghan Whittaker, Esq.
(she/her/hers)
Director of Policy & Advocacy
National Center for Learning Disabilities
xxxxxx@ncld.org<mailto:xxxxxx@ncld.org>
O: (202) 464-2140 | M: (203) 808-2512
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