Discriminatory assessment of minority students for possible handicap is virtually inevitable when the process ignores the societal context within which the students develop and schools educate. The psychologist or special educator should be an advocate for the student, not a legitimizer of existing role relationships. (DB)

In a survey of 169 rural school psychologists, the major barrier to effective educational assessment was perceived to be inadequate special education program options. Other perceived barriers were inadequate adaptive behavior measures, inadequate time for evaluations, and bias shown toward a child based on knowledge of other family members. (JHZ)

State definitions of behavior disorder were analyzed and compared to results of a survey completed several years ago. In many ways the definitions remained constant, but important changes were also noted, including a trend toward similarity to the federal term and definition of "seriously emotionally disturbed." (LMO)

Offers a personalistic view of the history of school psychology. A brief biographical sketch, of the author is presented, followed by an exposition centered on the development of school psychology as a specialty. Two historical streams of intellectual thought, intervention methods, and professional affiliation, are described. (JAC)

Describes the differences between identification procedures and placement procedures and discusses the implications of these differences for exceptional children, especially physically and/or mentally disabled children. Emphasizes the need for school psychologists, educators, and counselors to make educational decisions and to design educational…

Demographic information, history, and research relating to psychological services in rural schools are examined. Although some factors are unique to rural schools, it is concluded that services and perceptions of practitioners are similar in rural and urban areas. School psychologists spend most of their time in assessment for special placement.…

Issues related to an increasing incompatibility between school psychology and projective assessment are examined. These issues pertain to educational relevance, changing social and educational values, potential litigation, and technical adequacy. The authors conclude that there are few valid reasons for school psychologists to use projective…

The DURABLE (Discussing, Understanding, Reinforcing, Adapting, Building, Learning, Evaluating) Approach, an organizational intervention that is designed to facilitate implementation of individualized evaluation program (IEP) evaluation, is presented. The need for school psychologists to become actively involved in organizational-level matters in…

The previous articles in this journal on social skills are examined for their implications for training and practice of school psychology. The author concludes that recent developments from studies of social competence and social skills provide increased opportunities for school psychologists to make progress in general areas. (Author/EGS)

Compared the restrictiveness of special education placements by profession (administrators, school psychologists, and special education teachers) and by type of handicapping condition. Professionals (N=66) assigned placement scores on the basis of three psychological reports. Results indicated that the average placement scores did not differ…

Categorized research articles appearing in five major journals from 1974 to 1980. Results indicated a significant change in content of articles. Articles concerning instrument development and validation account for the relatively largest percentage of total articles. Schools and agencies primarily contributing to this research are identified. (JAC)

Reviews issues relative to retention of schoolchildren. Includes a historical perspective on the retention-promotion controversy, information on retention policies and retention prevalence rates, a review of research on the effectiveness of retention, and a discussion of factors that should be considered by psychologists making retention and…

Systematic contracting which involves students, parents, and teachers negotiating common issues is a time-limited cognitive-behavioral intervention that has the potential to maximize psychologists' impact upon schools. (BW)

Sixty-four school psychologists kept daily records for four weeks of all tests they administered and the reasons they used each test. Projective tests were infrequently used, were typically used to measure personality or self-concept, and were considered less important than other tests for educational planning. (Author/BW)

Psychological contributions which relate to the deaf and hearing impaired are illustrated with examples in the areas of self-study, advocacy and outreach, training, service, and research. (SB)