During the past decade, amidst the current context emphasizing educational standards and accountability, the practice of grade retention has increased. The call for an end to social promotion has generated a variety of recommendations and legislation regarding promotion policies. This context has served as a catalyst for numerous debates regarding…

A major problem faced by schools across the country is student absenteeism. Although the problem is pervasive in American schools, the attention focused on this issue has been inadequate. Poor student attendance has far reaching effects on the individual, the school, and society in general. The intent of this paper is to document the problem,…

Research indicates that high numbers of African American children receive special education services. To address the overrepresentation of African Americans in special education, this study examined the source of referral and the behaviors that precipitate the referral of African Americans for evaluation due to behavioral or emotional concerns.…

Determining the most appropriate intervention to address student problem behavior may be a difficult dilemma encountered by school psychologists during consultation activities with special education teachers. IDEA (1997) promotes the least restrictive environment and the least intrusive interventions that can be effective. The intrusiveness of…

This study involved the assessment of three psychology interns' ability to predict re-incarceration based on the use of clinical judgement. Three psychology interns in an APA-accredited internship were given training on how to use clinical judgement in predicting future incarceration on the part of youth incarcerated in a juvenile correctional…

In the school system, school psychologist serves a role as consultant to teachers in regard to children's behavioral problems (Bergan & Kratochwill, 1990). The defining feature of children's success is plan implementation (Bergan & Kratochwill, 1990). For school psychologists, ensuring consistent and accurate implementation of behavior strategies…

Counseling psychology in South Africa is undergoing significant changes, much like the country itself. The authors examine the state of counseling psychology in South Africa through discussion of both its racial history and present-day positions. The history of psychology cannot be devoid of its politicized past, and remnants of its history are…

As the size and diversity of the older population increases, mental health providers will be called upon to deliver high-quality services to the elderly. However, many of these professionals hold negative attitudes toward the elderly; psychotherapy conducted with older adults by clinicians with such biases could represent a waste of time and…

This study examined two models of extra-curricular support for enhancing the academic achievement of students as measured by state mandated test scores. One management model includes the use of school counselors as enhancers of the educational process while the other model addresses the contribution of school psychologists. To differentiate…

End-of-year marks and achievement test results in intermediate grade math and reading were linked to high-stakes test results at the secondary level. The results suggest that analysis of marks and test scores would alert educators to students who may be at-risk. This study is an example of the scientific approach to school improvement advocated by…

Research has produced mixed results in evaluating whether people are influenced more by computer output than by other information. The present study examined how teachers' perceptions of psychological reports differ when the reports are identified as being produced by a computer program or by a school psychologist. Subjects were 40 experienced…

Psychologists and educators have struggled to understand the devastating influence of racial intolerance on children, on their personality development, and on their academic growth. The emotional and cognitive elements that underlie racial intolerance, along with its theoretical underpinnings, are examined in this paper. It is believed that five…

The use of tests of statistical significance was explored, first by reviewing some criticisms of contemporary practice in the use of statistical tests as reflected in a series of articles in the "American Psychologist" and in the appointment of a "Task Force on Statistical Inference" by the American Psychological Association…

A school psychologist becomes indispensable to a school by responding to school needs and becoming and instrumental part of the solution. An essential prerequisite to responding to a need is first identifying it. However, the need identification process is fraught with pitfalls. Immersion into the culture of the school is critical to establishing…

School psychologists have a long and successful history in making themselves indispensable in schools by expanding their roles and their skills to meet the demands of an ever-changing clientele. As the rates of survival of children with a wide spectrum of genetic and neurodevelopmental disorders and acquired injuries and disease affecting the…