The reasons for using tests in early childhood programs are (1) to increase teachers' confidence in their role performance; (2) to explain and defend early childhood programs; (3) to promote consistency across programs; (4) to provide curriculum and instruction guidance to teachers; and (5) to focus teachers and parents on the more measurable…

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)

Derived appropriate K-corrections for Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-168 factor scales and a general psychopathology screening scale (PSY). Determined percentile distributions of K-corrected scales in a normal sample (N=1438) and constructed a percentile profile sheet to facilitate clinical use (N=1048). Examined validity of the…

Health education was an important part of the screening phase of a large epidemiological survey of school children's blood pressure. After children's height, weight, and blood pressure were measured, they were directed to displays of educational materials which explained the cardiovascular system and stressed the importance of blood pressure…

A health assessment battery was developed to screen elementary school children in Clovis (California) for factors that might lead to heart disease. Students' height, blood pressure, flexibility, weight, and body fatness (by skin-fold tests) were measured. Plans call for future development of longitudinal student profiles. (Authors/PP)

Multivariate analyses of questionnaires and standardized test data indicated that performance at age eight could be predicted with considerable accuracy by a combination of teachers' ratings of home and personal characteristics at age five. (Author/PN)

Since children as young as seven years old can suffer from hypertension, all children should have blood pressure checked during physical examinations. Guidelines for testing children's blood pressure are presented along with suggestions about what schools and parents can do to help deal with the problem. (PP)

This investigation demonstrates the validity of the Sheppard School Entry Screening Test (SSEST) as an early indicator of reading problems. This screening device provides good predictability across the entire range of reading ability and is particularly effective at forecasting the poorest readers. (Author/AL)

Compared the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) for 31 gifted children. The sample mean for the PPVT-R was significantly lower than for the PPVT. Additionally, the PPVT and PPVT-R correlated to a significant degree, yielding a standard score correlation coefficient of .83. (Author)

Many teacher education programs are moving toward some type of selective admissions procedures ranging from tests of competence in oral and written communication to committee assessments using multiple criteria. The screening technique proposed in this study is a reading proficiency test, measuring teacher candidates' ability to read textbook…

Systems and communications theories applied to the delicate task of matching children with families promise an objective method for understanding the complexities of family relationships. The author shows how one agency successfully incorporated sophisticated theoretical tools into a study process evaluating the stability of foster family…

Investigated validity of the Short Form Test of Academic Aptitude (SFTAA) as a predictor of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) Full Scale IQ. Tested junior-high students and found the WISC-R could be estimated satisfactorily from the SFTAA, which was shown to be a valid indicator of intelligence. (Author/JAC)

A total population study of 4,797 six-year-old children attending the public preschools in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden was conducted in order to investigate the problematic area of perceptual, motor and attentional deficits in preschool children. A questionnaire with 34 questions about minimal brain dysfunction-related problems was distributed…

Surveyed directors (N=109) of clinical psychology programs to assess their opinions regarding proposed personality evaluation of doctoral applicants. Results showed that 75.3 percent opposed the evaluation based on the applicant's right to privacy and the inadequacies of assessment alternatives. (Author/JAC)

The ratings of the Achievement and Intellectual Screening scales of the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) are compared with scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) to determine the efficacy of using the PIC as an index of children's performance on such measures.…