Teachers have been telling me for years that many of their students identified with learning disabilities were actually poor readers. In addition, school leaders have consistently urged our staffs to view special education as a last resort.

It appears that the emphasis on literacy including diagnostic assessment, early intervention, and explicit instruction coupled with a response to intervention (RtI) approach to raising the performance each and every student is having a positive effect. The number of students identified with learning disabilities has dropped 11 percent in five years.