Achievement-potential discrepancy status of students in LD programs

Abstract. This study addresses the issue of achievement-potential discrepancy by applying a standard-score and regression-analysis procedure to data on new LD placements. Questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of teachers of LD students in Kansas and Iowa. Results indicated that only two-thirds of the initially placed pupils exhibited a severe discrepancy. A comparison between IQ scores of underachievers and non-underachievers suggested that the latter tended to be slow learners. A comparison between the results of the standard-score and regression-analysis procedures revealed a large overlap between the two as well as a statistically significant relationship. The use or nonuse of the regression analysis did not have the expected effects on identifying a severe discrepancy. Historically, a myriad of definitions have been used to describe learning disabilities (LD) including such components as neurological dysfunction, un-even growth pattern, exclusion of other handicap-ping conditions, and academic difficulty (Lerner