Special education's current system for determining which students are eligible for supportive classroom services is theoretically and mechanically flawed, as this book thoroughly demonstrates, while providing an alternative model.

Macht proposes a model for determining which students are eligible for supportive classroom services. His model resolves all eligibility issues by advocating direct assessment of all students' entering skills, rather than assessing intellectual potential as a means for determining a student's capabilities. It demands that general education assume responsibility for its diverse children and admonishes general education that it can no longer rely on special education to provide an available safety net.