Discrepancy analysis in SLD evaluation involves which of the following?

• A. A fixed IQ-achievement difference threshold of 5 points.
• B. Using only reading scores.
• C. Replacing RTI data with teacher opinion.
• D. Examining the relationship between cognitive ability and achievement to identify a gap that cannot be explained by other factors.

Answer: (D)

Discrepancy analysis looks for a mismatch between what a student is cognitively capable of and what they actually achieve in academic work, and it aims to identify a gap that cannot be explained by other factors such as language difficulties, inadequate instruction, attention issues, or sensory problems. The best description is this: you examine the relationship between cognitive ability and achievement to determine whether there’s a gap that isn’t accounted for by those other factors, which supports a learning disability designation when present.

Context helps: this approach typically uses standardized cognitive tests alongside achievement measures across multiple domains, and it acknowledges that thresholds aren’t fixed—measurement error matters and teams consider the overall pattern rather than a single score. It’s not about using only one domain (like reading) or about substituting subjective opinions for data.