Majorities of children referred for special education services are linked to slow progress learning to read (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998) and most qualify for LD in reading (Council for Exceptional Children, 2000). Many of these children also have significant behavior problems (Coleman & Vaughn, 2000). To their credit in the last ten years, researchers in special education have made rapid advances in what is known about the causes, prevention, and treatment of reading and behavior problems in school. This research has shown that academic learning and behavior problems are inextricably linked throughout the life span. We know that in the absence of early intervention, learning problems increase behavior problems; and behavior problems interfere with instruction, promoting increasing academic delays during early and middle childhood, and adolescence (Greenwood, Walker, & Utley, in press). We know that young children from poor neighborhoods who are English language learners, and those with risks for or with disabilities fall behind at the outset and represent the highest risk for early academic and social failure (Snow et al., 1998). Currently, there exist a number of instructional intervention practices for teaching reading and managing classroom behavior with trustworthy evidence showing that they work. The good news is that access to these effective reading practices, including individualized, intensive instruction for some children, has profound and long-lasting results for improved academic performance and appropriate social behavior (National Summit on Learning Disabilities, 1999). The bad news is that sixty percent of children served under IDEA are identified too late to receive full benefit of effective interventions (OSEP, 2001), and further, a gap exists between research discoveries and standard practices in local schools (Greenwood & Abbott, in press). Exactly how these practices should be integrated with existing practices to form a comprehensive, effective program for children learning to read is unknown and not yet demonstrated. Two challenges exist. First, high risk schools need systematic implementation of research-based, effective reading instruction for all students as a primary level prevention of reading failure. Instruction must be highly structured with explicit teaching of early literacy skills. Second, schools need systematic screening and assessment to determine which students may be in need of more intensive instruction and behavioral support to learn and function in their educational settings. The purpose of this project is thus to establish a model program – The Center for Early Intervention for Reading and Behavior. The Center will target children at risk for and with EBD and LD in K-3rd grade in urban and suburban culturally diverse schools. Eight schools representative of those in the USA will participate in the Center in collaboration with the sampling framed by the Coordination Center to be funded.

Objective 1. Establish a multiple-gating, school-wide assessment protocol to identify young students with and at risk for learning and behavioral disabilities.

Objective 2. Implement and monitor effective evidence-based reading instruction over a period of multiple years to improve the performance of high risk young children exhibiting marked difficulty learning to read (tertiary level intervention).

Objective 3. Implement and monitor effective evidence-based behavioral intervention, including school-wide discipline, over multiple years to improve the social and behavioral performance of young children at risk OR with emotional/behavioral disorders.

Objective 4. Develop and test effective professional development procedures for teaching school staff (a) screening, assessment and team-based decision making, (b) selection of effective, targeted reading intervention, and (c) effective individualized and school-wide behavioral intervention; in conjunction with cost effectiveness analysis.