Beginning in 1983 with the Connecticut Longitudinal Study (Shaywitz, Shaywitz, & Fletcher, 1992), with additions to the NICHD research program in 1987 (Lyon, 1996), educators were able to initiate new multidisciplinary prospective, longitudinal studies to define and classify LDs, to identify the multiple factors responsible for their presentation, and to develop multiple interventions and determine their effectiveness. Indeed, cohorts of children recruited for study in 1983 and 1987 are still being studied by collaborative multidisciplinary teams at 44 research sites as they enter their adolescence and adulthood. Extensive replicated findings from this NICHD research network have been reviewed elsewhere in detail (see Lyon, Fletcher & Barnes, 2003, and Lyon, Fletcher, Fuchs, & Chhabra, in press). While educators have learned a great deal, they must sustain and build on research investments to ensure that the educational and social needs of children and adults with LDs are addressed in an optimal manner. First, research must continue efforts to refine the definition of LDs. Data reveals that IQ-achievement discrepancies and exclusionary criteria are invalid markers for LDs, reinforcing a wait-to-fail model. It is known that early identification and prevention is not only critical but essential (Lyon et al., in press), and researchers must have the courage to jettison these concepts if necessary. Second, replicated research findings must inform educational policy. Third, replicated scientific research findings must inform professional development and instructional practices. Effecting meaningful change in the lives of children and teachers requires that research not only have sound scientific findings, but also that it understands how to translate them so that they inform efforts in complex educational environments.