The impact of the Larry P. decision on educational programming and assessment in California is examined. The decision and subsequent policy changes, such as implementation of PL 94-142, have resulted in the virtual disappearance of mild mental retardation as a diagnostic construct. As a result, children served “as EMRs” in the California schools are far more debilitated than those served prior to the decision, and this change has not resulted in substantial curricular changes. Because the decision has resulted in children formerly classified as “borderline mentally retarded” being served in regular programs, the authors question whether the educational plight of these children has been enhanced by the changes. Finally, the article examines paradoxes in assessment/evaluation practices in California that appear inconsistent with either the decision itself or the reasoning that led to the decision.
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