Thanks, Brant.  Michigan is a state that still uses the descrepancy model.
Some schools are using RtI but many are not, through the tiered system
anyway.  I appreciate the article and getting better educated about this!
Best,
Nora 
 
 
Nora Chahbazi, President
EBLI Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction
Ounce of Prevention Reading Center
www.ebli.org <http://www.ebli.org/> 
810.732.4810
fax 810.732.0366
 
  

  _____  

From: learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Brant Hayenga
Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 2:20 PM
To: 'The Learning Disabilities Discussion List'
Subject: [LearningDisabilities 4215] Re: descrepancy model


Nora:
 
Could someone explain to me the reasoning behind this method? 
 
It's all about what the state regulations indicate. It is clearly not
logical. The IQ-discrepancy model has been widely demonstrated to be an
unreliable method for identifying students who have reading disabilities.
The discrepancy model has lots of problems, one of which is that it tends to
over identify higher IQ students, and under identify lower IQ students.
Articles about the problems were published in 1998, but many states continue
to at least include the discrepancy model in their regulations. After I read
the attached article, I was astonished that at the time (2005) most states
still required the use of the discrepancy method. We have to follow the
laws, even if they are deeply flawed. NM recently switched to an RtI model.
 
This regression
effect leads to observed discrepancies
that are larger, on average, than
the true discrepancy for individuals
with IQ scores above 100 and, therefore,
increases the chances that such
children will be identified as IQ discrepant.
For individuals scoring below
the mean on IQ, the opposite tendency
occurs, making the observed discrepancy
smaller than the true discrepancy,
on average, so that their chances for
identification as IQ discrepant are
reduced.
 
Brant Hayenga
Educational Diagnostician 
Stapleton Elementary/Rio Rancho Middle School
(505) 896-0667 ext. 226 (District Office)
(505) 891-8473 ext. 519 (Stapleton Elementary)
bhayenga at rrps.net
 
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