1. Education and the law In 2001, the Federal Government mandated that states attempt to close the academic achievement gap, also known as No Child Left Behind Act. Children with disabilities have scored among the low achiever for academic success when administered standardized tests. In order to bridge this gap, we must first look at the general education curriculum.(1) All children must be given the opportunity to develop skills required to be academically successful within the general education curriculum. Since reading is the foundation skill for all learning , it is essential that children with disabilities receive targeted and effective instruction that addresses their core weaknesses in reading (Lloyd, 2005). The Access Center improving Outcomes for All students k-8