Educational Diagnosticians

Lawyer, Torin Togut, explains the difference between RTI and the need to refer to special education, as he described in his article linked below. This paper aligns with the guidance given when Texas was under corrective action for Childfind. These two services are not exclusive. He also describes the basic elements of any RTI program. Here's a link to his article.

What do you do when you know the instructional experiences and the interventions for a child you are testing are not ideal? We explore the RIOT and ICEL matrix for creating the right blurbs for talking about this in your FIE. See this link for some examples. Here's a link for the AIR resource . Here's one from Intervention Central's website . Minnesota resource link . Related Books: Untangling Data-Based Decision Making (See next episode for Perry Zirkel article).

Dr. Robin Codding tells us how we can test for math disabilities and drive instruction at the same time- the Evidence-Based way! 1. Codding, R. S., Nelson, G., Kiss, A. J., Shin, J., Goodridge, A., & Hwang, J. (2025). A Meta-Analysis of the Relations Between Curriculum-Based Measures in Mathematics and Criterion Measures. School Psychology Review, 54(3), 275–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2023.2224055 2. Codding, R. S., Peltier, C., & Campbell, J. (2023). Introducing the Science of Math. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 56(1), 6-11. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/00400599221121721 3. VanderHeyden, A. M., Codding, R. S. Belief-Based Versus Evidence-Based Math Assessment and Instruction: What School Psychologists Need to Know to Improve Student Outcomes By Amanda M. VanDerHeyden & Robin S. Codding (2021). The science of math: The importance of mastery measures and the quest for a general outcome measure. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1322824 4. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED500486.pdf 5. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/practiceguides 6. https://www.thescienceofmath.com/ 7. https://intensiveintervention.org/

More concerning trends in the Texas special education populations. Dyslexia Identification: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1441293 Trends In Rates: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1291402 Texas Special Education Report: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED677545.pdf

Eric Elias is a co-host of the School Psyched! Podcast, and was School Psychologist of the year this year. He shares the hot topics discussed at NASP this year, and we discuss his article: Muddled Measurement : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350098337_Muddled_Measurement_A_Historical_Perspective_on_Questionable_Practices_in_School_Psychology's_Assessment_of_Learning_Disabilities#fullTextFileContent If you want to follow the School Psyched podcast, you can join live discussions by going here: https://thetestingpsychologist.com/podcast-crossover-with-school-psyched-rebecca-comizio-rachael-donnelly-and-eric-elias/

In this episode, we talk about some trend in special education populations in Texas. We used reports from DeMatthews et al. (2025) as a springboard for our discussion. https://texaserc.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Texas_Special_Ed_Report_4.4.2025.pdf https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/news-and-multimedia/annual-reports/annual-report

Is there a time when something is not normal but it is also not a disability? Is there a time when something IS normal, but it is a disability? We tackle ideas about what it means to be disabled. It's not a simple as it seems.

Becki takes lists her top ten take away tips for the ways in which the new WJ V compares to previous versions of the test.

Nazzie discusses the new definition of Dyslexia as published by the International Dyslexia Association with listeners. The discussion includes a summary of her publication that attempts to analyze and critique the Texas guidance documents against evidence-based assessment practices. Here's a link to the article: https://www.etamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-Pater-Rov-Tagged.pdf If you want to know more about the new definition of dyslexia, refer to the International Dyslexia Association.

Dr. Shanahan talks to us about how misinterpretations of reading theory by teachers may be limiting students' opportunities to develop literacy skills at higher levels. He's concerned about what happens after teacher help kids crack the code. Here's a link for purchasing Dr. Shanahan's book: Leveled Readers, Leveled Lives. Here's a link to Dr. Shanahan's blog.

Dr. Collins has recently become the president elect of the Counsel on Learning Disabilities. Her research is about teaching writing. She's a CALT, so she understands the challenges of teaching those with dyslexia. From writing instruction, to the importance of evidence and the CLD's stance on diagnosing learning disabilities, she has a lot to share. The future of the CLD is in good hands with Dr. Collins' leadership! Here's her article on writing interventions: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19APKoZI2tTqWz07Oe4QGdmUVmuZowecf/view?usp=sharing

Dr. Amy Rogers is concerned about the challenges of the small town school districts. We chat about what those challenges are and how we can be resourceful when the odd are not in the favor of the small town school district.

Remember when Texas had a cap on the number of special education students who could be in special education? Dr. Morgan is the one who helped expose the harm of the cap. Dr. Morgan and Hu work for University at Albany’s Institute for Social and Health Equity. Time after time, they find that if there are 2 kids with the same reading or math struggles, the mainstream white student will be more likely to get the services than the minority child of color. Check out their articles: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10xjzZu0o4LDXZhOFbJgGTZp1dqjVR1Sp/view?usp=drive_link https://drive.google.com/file/d/16xqlFTquDhavfPu56RnwZ7uaeLhyPB4O/view?usp=sharing

Dr. Tammy Stephens joins to tell us about professional judgment's role in determining disability and how organizing our informal data can help to improve that judgment. She has a new program called BOSCO that does just that. Here's the websight: https://www.jotform.com/customer-stories/bosco/

What would special education look like if it didn't include high incidence disabilities? Are you a preservist or a transformist? This one talks about the vision of special education. It reviews a book by Thomas Hehir, the director of OSEP for six years during the reauthorization of IDEA. His book is available on Amazon. https://a.co/d/13IJxrg

In this episode, diagnosticians discuss the vision of Special Education as seen through the perspective of Dr. Thomas Hehir, author of: New Directions in Special Education: Eliminating Ableism in Policy and Practice. Dr. Hehir was the head of OSEP during the time leading up to the re-authorization of IDEA in 2004. He was also the chair of Harvard's Ed.D. Special Education program for 20 years before he passed away. The discussion helps us to understand why the vision of Special Education as communicated from a perspective of OSEPs responsibility towards civil rights is often conflicted with the vision of most practitioners who aim to preserve what is special about special education.

Clubhouse members gather to discuss the contributions of Lynn Fuchs in memory of her at the time of her passing. She passed away on May 7, 2025. He leaves behind her husband, Doug, son, and grandson, in addition to numerous mentees and research colleagues. Her memory will live on in her contributions to CBM development, reading and math interventions, and the RTI model of SLD assessment. Here are some research articles and book chapters that she is known for: https://academic.oup.com/minnesota-scholarship-online/book/29366/chapter-abstract/244323372?redirectedFrom=fulltext https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2307/1511189 https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED459544 https://ies.ed.gov/learn/blog/spotlighting-doug-and-lynn-fuchs-two-decades-innovation-special-education-research

Dr. Barbara Foorman, professor emeritus from Florida State University served on the National Reading Panel and is one of the most recognized researchers of reading. She joins to tell us about her latest study that compares using an evidence-based reading program and using a serious of various evidence-based interventions valid for specific skill development. Here are some links to references made in this event: The Relative Effectiveness of Two Approach to Early Literacy Intervention Grades K-2 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Wnqxs-rfSuKRbfSYDyyZG-6f1KcIaPXq/view?usp=drive_link The Role of Instruction in Learning to Read: Preventing Reading Failure in At-Risk Children https://drive.google.com/file/d/11u3dKyrZNqpXEUzOt7xfhSwsCPPg8o9B/view?usp=drive_link Interventions Aimed at Improving Reading Success: An Evidence Based Approach https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Pq9vClozQBHqSqOApJSbNewDmuPHkuaq/view?usp=drive_link Curriculum Guidelines: https://www.thereadingleague.org/compass/curriculum-decision-makers/ What Informs Literacy Instruction in the Primary Grades: Chapter 9 Foorman chap 9_What Informs Literacy Instruction in the Primary Grades_Guilford in press.pdf PowerPoint of Literacy: Using Data to Inform Instruction https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1eW1J2o70PmqWHoFgPz_VdwruiRLmdvio/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=109793171636430085361&rtpof=true&sd=true State Policy Levers: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED615740.pdf

Amy Smith interviews Dr. Kathleen Pfannenstiel, from American Institutes of Research, about the evidence-based assessment of math. She talks the importance of independent research, the most common challenges for students with disabilities, and integrating CBM into our evaluations. She refers to several related resources listed below: Links: Math Podcast Series Math Fact Fluency Norms: https://www.rocketmath.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Rocket_Math_2013_Fact_Fluency_Benchmarks.pdf?srsltid=AfmBOorlzO4zC94YkQGSpaQh4gAB65dggbSfU03AqyC6__OdCk22pv7h https://www.jimwrightonline.com/mixed_files/lansing_IL/_Lansing_IL_Aug_2013/5_CBA_Math_Computation_Directions.pdf Worksheet generator: https://www.math-aids.com/ https://superkids.com/aweb/tools/math/#google_vignette https://math-drills.com/ Supporting Mathematics Intervention in Elementary School (NCII website): https://intensiveintervention.org/resource/supporting-mathematics-intervention-elementary-school Infusing EBPs to Improve Middle School Math Instruction: https://mtss4success.org/blog/infusing-ebps-middle-school-math-instruction Lesson Plans to Support High-Quality Middle School Math Instruction: https://mtss4success.org/blog/lesson-plans-middle-school-math

Dr. Yell helps us to define "progress" as it has been described after Endrew F. v. Douglas County Schools (2017). Here's an article he wrote: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fa_ZgzItiGYJ0AMqRSy-MGBE_TzfuXJr/view?usp=sharing Here are some books he wrote: https://a.co/d/8iKAo8J https://a.co/d/8kBIyMd