The study reported here examined the utility of teacher certification as it relates to the reading achievement of mildly handicapped children. Specifically, this investigation analyzed the question of whether children identified as learning disabled (LD) and educable mentally retarded (EMR) make better academic progress when taught by teachers with certification specific to the student's disability. Results indicated that LD and EMR pupils, when taught by teachers with certification matching child label, did not make significantly greater gains than LD and EMR children instructed by teachers with licenses not matching pupil label. The data support a noncategorical service delivery model with implications for issues involving student identification and teacher training programs.
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