AbstractThe records of 137 students for whom complete data files were available were examined in order to determine the extent to which pre‐assessment data (teacher referral information and standardized reading test scores) could successfully be used to predict the handicapping classifications decided on by child‐study teams. We were specifically interested in the predictive power of pre‐assessment information above and beyond that provided by handicapped children's race and gender. Results of our analyses indicated that pre‐assessment data can successfully predict the handicapped classifications of the majority of special education students, as well as differentiate students who are found eligible for special education from those found to be ine