California's New Eligibility Criteria: Legal and Program Implications
- 1 October 1985
- journal article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Exceptional Children
- Vol. 52 (2) , 131-141
- https://doi.org/10.1177/001440298505200205
Abstract
In March 1983 California adopted new eligibility criteria for handicapped students. The criteria for learning disabilities and language impairments included complex statistical procedures designed to identify students with a deficit in educational performance or language development of about 1.5 standard deviation units, as reflected in the scores of certain standardized tests. This article examines the development of the criteria, their relationship to federal regulations, and their tie to California's special education funding cap of 10% of student enrollment. Technical aspects of the criteria are examined, including two case studies, and recent litigation regarding the new standard is discussed. California's efforts in these areas may have implications for special education programs elsewhere in the United States.This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- A Logical and Empirical Analysis of Current Practice in Classifying Students as HandicappedExceptional Children, 1983
- Learning Disability Discrepancy Formulas: Their Use in Actual PracticeLearning Disability Quarterly, 1983