Teachers are in a unique position to identify and support students who experience mental health concerns. The purpose of this systematic review was to (a) identify current available evidence-based teacher training programs related to students' mental health, (b) review the content and delivery methods of the training, and (c) evaluate the quality…

This article describes how actuarial methods can supplant discrepancy models and augment problem solving and Response to Intervention (RTI) efforts by guiding the process of identifying specific learning disabilities (SLD). Actuarial methods use routinized selection and execution of formulas derived from empirically established relationships to…

Three dimensions (namely, predetermination of questions, interviewer response options, and breadth of content explored), which appear to determine assessment interview structure and format, are described and operationally defined, and then combined into a conceptual model indicating 27 different assessment interview formats. This paradigm affords…

Reports on a survey investigating the use of dynamic assessment and other nontraditional techniques among school psychologists (N=226). Results indicated that 39% of respondents reported using dynamic assessment techniques once a year or more. The most frequently endorsed reasons for not using dynamic assessment were lack of knowledge and time…

Reviewed six recently developed adaptive behavior scales for technical adequacy and other issues to consider when selecting measure of adaptive behavior. Suggests ways to aid examiners in selecting appropriate measure of adaptive behavior for particular student, accurately interpreting results, recognizing strengths and limitations of measures,…

Surveyed school psychologists regarding identification of mentally retarded students. The Wechsler scales were the most frequently used tests for deriving intelligence quotient scores, which together with adaptive behavior scale scores were rated as most influential in identification-placement decisions. The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales were…

Recent advances in computer technology, combined with research findings on electrophysiological (EEG) correlates of brain function, suggest that large-scale use of various computer scored EEG measures in evaluation of children with learning problems may become feasible. The nature of the EEG and of the averaged evoked potential is described.…

The position paper on unbiased assessment of culturally different children provided impetus for describing fallacies: that child advocacy necessitates renunciation of standardized assessments, that diagnoses are either harmful or useless, that use of norms is detrimental, that standardized tests are devoid of value, and that multidisciplinary…

So as to compare predicted achievement based upon WISC-R IQs and observed achievement by the WRAT standard scores, both instruments were administered by the same school psychologist to 282 urban students referred for psychological evaluation. The correlations obtained were substantial. (Author)

Discusses concerns among school psychologists for evaluating goal attainment of their services. Describes an approach for goal-based evaluation of school psychological service departments, termed "Needs-Based Goal Attainment Scaling," that builds upon previously developed approaches to goal attainment scaling. (Author)

Findings from 83 school psychologists revealed that a typical battery for assessing severely emotionally disturbed students consisted on Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, Wide-Range Achievement Test, Bender-Gestalt, an incomplete sentence test, a behavior-rating scale, classroom observation, and informal interviews. Psychologists…

Data from 664 students referred for special education evaluations were used to create Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) short form. Used short form during 3-year reevaluations of 35 learning-disabled students. All short form deviation quotients fell within students' Full Scale intelligence quotient range. No student was…

The Test of Variable Attention (TOVA), widely used in the assessment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, was studied along with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children III (WISC-III). Explores whether the TOVA is a measure of psychomotor speed function rather than sustained attention. Results indicated that there was no correlation…

Evaluated a short form of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (California Abbreviated WISC for the Intellectually Gifted) for screening gifted referrals. Results indicated the short form could be effective in predicting full-scale intelligence quotient even when the prediction was based on data from the original WISC. (Author/JAC)

Provides a rationale for obtaining evaluative feedback concerning the perceived usefulness of school psychological reports and their impact on the development of individual educational plans. Research data and authoritative opinion support the need for feedback on a case-by-case basis. A working copy of a brief evaluation form is included. (Author)