ABSTRACTEMILY AYALA. The Relationship Between Disability Status and Academic Outcomes: Race and SES As Moderators. (Under the direction of DR. MARTHA CECILIA BOTTIA)Addressing the educational achievement of children with learning disabilities is an important topic that deserves heightened attention because of the large number of kids that suffer learning disabilities (LD) but also given the large number of resources devoted to the education of students with LD. Prior research suggests there are many disadvantages that having a learning disability brings to children. Existent studies also recognize the important role that race and SES has on students’ achievement. However, there has been little evidence based on how belonging to a minority group and/or coming from a low socioeconomic status background affects the relationship between students' academic achievements and the designation of a LD. Framed in Labeling Theory and Cumulative Disadvantage Theory this study answers the following questions: does having an intellectual disability have a significant relationship with student’s academic achievement? And more importantly, does and how race and socio-economic status (SES) moderate the relationship between LD and academic achievement? Using nationally representative data from the Educational Longitudinal Survey (ELS) of approximately 8,000 students and utilizing descriptive statistics and OLS models this study answers these questions.