One of the most important, and neglected, aspects of the school assessment process is the feedback phase. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the extent to which feedback is being conducted, training in feedback, and the types of feedback practices used in school settings. One hundred thirty-two school assessment professionals…

For psychoeducational evaluations to generate useful data, students must put forth sufficient effort on diagnostic tests, and they and their caregivers and teachers must respond honestly and carefully when asked about symptoms. These features are collectively known as response validity, a concept widely discussed in neuropsychological assessment…

School psychologists often have reason to suspect that students may not be putting forth full effort during diagnostic tests, or that questionnaire or rating scale data are not credible. However, such suspicions must be tested carefully to yield data-based conclusions. Structured, empirically supported methods for assessing the "response…

"Evaluation" under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is among the major responsibilities of school psychologists. This concluding article in the series on evaluation under the IDEA provides legal analysis and professional recommendations related to procedural appropriateness. Specifically, it addresses notices,…

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) is an education term used to define students enrolled in public schools whose language and culture do not match the dominant culture. Assessing CLD students has been an ongoing challenge in school psychology for decades. Significant disproportionality includes CLD populations, special education…

The National Association of School Psychologists champions the use of evidence-based approaches to support all children and families, especially those belonging to historically marginalized groups. To ensure the protection and success of the most vulnerable students, practitioners must dedicate themselves to continually developing their ability to…

Insufficient sleep is common among school-attending youth and has been associated with academic, cognitive, social-emotional, and behavioral functioning. Despite these associations, it is believed that few school psychologists are prepared to identify, assess, or treat sleep problems manifested in the K-12 setting. However, no published research…

The acronym R.I.O.T., record review, interview, observation, and test, is a well-known tool for conceptualizing a comprehensive assessment. With COVID-19 and the need to provide school psychological services virtually, it is important to reconsider R.I.O.T. in light of the limitations of virtual assessment. We describe the limitations of virtual…

While the field advocates for a diversified and comprehensive professional role (National Association of School Psychologists, 2020), school psychologists have long spent most of their time in assessment-related activities (Farmer et al., 2021), averaging about eight cognitive evaluations monthly (Benson et al., 2020). Assessment practices have…

In Part 1 of this series, the authors briefly reviewed some challenges inherent in using standardized tools with students who are not well represented in norming data. To help readers clearly conceptualize the framework steps, the authors present two case studies that showcase how a nonstandardized approach to assessment can be individualized to…

School psychologists familiar with the autism evaluation process have an awareness of the complexity of this school-based process. This paper provides school clinicians with an introduction to a visual framework and descriptive language to think and talk about the complex students they evaluate in positive, nuanced, and accessible terms. This…

The purpose of this dissertation is to describe a doctoral research study that comprehensively investigated school psychologists' record review practices. Record reviews are part of the psychoeducational evaluation process, and there is relatively little previous research literature on this topic. The current study aimed to investigate the…

Anxiety and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly co-occur, but school-based assessment practices surrounding identification of co-occurring presentations are not well understood. This study examined school psychologists' assessment practices for anxiety in students with ASD, perceptions of their role in the assessment process, and perceived…

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that can have a serious effect on a young, developing brain. Following a concussion, it is common for children and adolescents to experience difficulties in the school setting. Schools may be the ideal setting to address some of the problems children experience as schools employ some personnel with…

Statewide technical assistance providers support many school teams through training, consultation, and coaching to improve systems and outcomes for mathematics for every student. They have the opportunity to work with many school psychologists, who often indicate they are more comfortable engaging in systems-level work for literacy, behavior, and…