System reform in U.S. heartland is the story of a decade-long effort to change the ways we think about children and youth who experience learning or behavior problems in educational settings. This fundamentally different way of thinking involves a shift from seeking the causes and solutions to learning and emotional/behavioral problems in inferred…

The factor structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised) (WISC-R) for both regular and special education populations has been well documented. Published data have also indicated that the factor structure of the WISC-R is similar across ethnic groups. With the development of the new WISC-III, comparable information is not yet…

Quality substance abuse training for 279 educational personnel (school counselors, school nurses, and school psychologists) across the state of Alabama was provided in a series of two-day training sessions through a federal grant. Although the original grant proposed 7 training sessions, 9 training sessions were ultimately offered over the course…

Special and regular education reforms toward more inclusionary models impact the practice of school psychology. Traditional school psychological services involving testing and placement are being challenged through inclusive education initiatives. In this study, school psychologists' attitudes toward inclusive education were measured via a Rasch…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of knowledge preservice educators (N=83) have (prior to field placement) of the diverse functions of school psychological service delivery. Various aspects of the referral process, and the perceptions preservice educators hold on the importance of several functions of service delivery were of…

Psychologists starting their careers now have a bleaker view of the job market than those who started a decade or more ago. Ways in which new doctoral graduates in psychology can find their first jobs in professional psychology are explored in this paper. The focus is upon what reviewers and interviewers may look for in the curriculum vitae of…

In the past, educators have been reluctant to deal openly with the issue of school violence. This paper examines feedback from workshops on bullying and refers to the results of a survey of school psychologists regarding school violence. It is argued that the causes of violence at school are multifaceted and interactive. Bullying is a world-wide…

In this volatile era of economic retrenchment, corporate downsizing, and government budget crises, school psychologists' major defense must be short-term political action and grassroots support, but their long-term strategy must be to build a position of importance for school psychologists in the school. In the long run this will not be…

As psychologists meet with educators to discuss the needs of various children, they bring different pedagogical backgrounds to the table. The body of psychological theory and science the psychologists have is essential, imperative, and indispensable to effective schooling. The diagnostic skills of psychologists are essential and not available to…

Conflict is part of human interaction. A review of some of the literature on the history, as well as on the educational and psychological impact of violence in South African schools, is provided here. It is suggested that intervention and prevention strategies to deal with the effect of violence include training to provide market-related skills to…

This case study contributes to the debate about professional education and the nature of complex interpersonal skills. Preservice training programs make certain assumptions about how students acquire practical knowledge and consequently about how such knowledge is best taught. Students form their own beliefs, which in turn exercise considerable…

This paper examines four common measures of treatment outcomes--ethical standards, statistical analysis, standards of care, and social validation--and explores the inherent problems associated with each. Ethical standards may assure the public that only reasoned professional approaches are used, but the ethical treatment of patients does not mean…

Ideas for schools to support tolerance and celebrate student diversity are presented in this volume of reprinted articles. Titles include: (1) "One of Us, One of Them: Lessons in Diversity for a School Psychologist" (M. M. Chittooran); (2) "The Tolerance-in-Action Campaign" (H. M. Knoff); (3) "Immigrant Parents and the…

Author discusses employing knowledge of group dynamics in conducting a series of sessions with teachers focused around the interaction of teacher and child in the classroom. It is a method of reaching more youngsters, and presents the psychologist with an opportunity to use skills for which he is uniquely trained. (Author/PC)

Many children needlessly fail in public school. They have adequate intelligence and academic aptitude, but they do no complete and turn in work. Their self-esteem plummets and they do not seem capable of recovery without adult help. The Academic Skills Workshop (ASW) is a model program for educators who believe in the ability of parents to help…