Letter from NCLD (LD News: October 2006)

Dear NCLD Supporters and Constituents,

Part of NCLD's mission is to advocate for policies that protect and strengthen educational rights and opportunities for students with LD. We have a special interest in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law because its primary focus is closing the achievement gap for all children, including for children who struggle with learning. Prior to the enactment of NCLB, states failed to include many or most students with disabilities in their statewide assessment systems, even though the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) required them to do so. Although the law is not perfect, NCLB is helping children with LD by providing school accountability and by pushing schools to do "what works" to improve results for students with disabilities.

The achievement gap for students with disabilities is very real! Forty-five percent of secondary students with LD are reading more than three grade levels below their peers and nearly forty percent drop out of high school. These outcomes are very much on par with the national outcomes for ethnic minorities and low income students, and they are unacceptable. No student should be marginalized through any relaxation of accountability requirements. It is for these reasons that our organization has been a leading proponent of NCLB and its positive effects for students with disabilities.

NCLD has spearheaded activities in support of NCLB, including providing a brief testimony on the Act before the bi-partisan Commission. We have also developed several documents that have been used to educate and inform policy makers and stakeholders about the positive and meaningful impact the law is having for students with LD. For more information on our work related to NCLB, click here.

All students deserve high quality, research-based instruction that will lead to high school graduation with a regular diploma. All students deserve an opportunity to successfully transition to postsecondary education and work settings so they can become valued members of their communities and contributing members of society. I hope you will join us as we seek to close the unacceptable achievement gaps for students with learning disabilities.

Warm regards,

James H. Wendorf
Executive Director
National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc. 

The National Center for Learning Disabilities is listed by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All gifts made to NCLD are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. I hope that you consider making a contribution to NCLD today and thank you in advance for your generosity. NCLD greatly appreciates your support of our work!