Research Project to Examine How Public Schools Identify Learning Disabilities

A University of Houston researcher is launching a new study to examine how elementary schools across Texas and Florida identify specific learning disabilities in students, with the goal of improving processes so children with significant academic difficulties can succeed.Jeremy Miciak, research associate professor of psychology at the University of Houston’s Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, was awarded a $1.7 million grant from the National Center for Special Education Research at the Institute of Education Sciences, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education. More than seven million, or 15% of all public school students in the United States received special education or related services in 2021-22, according to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Among those receiving special education, the most common category of disability was specific learning disabilities, or SLD, at about 32%. Read More