In spite of the use of nominations, rating scales, checklists, standard measuring instruments, culture-specific models, quota system models, and identification and instructional models, the number of Black students identified as gifted remains very small. New practices for identifying this subgroup must emphasize the diversity within the Black…

Although several vision screening techniques are available for infants, none is routinely used. Visual deficits are often first detected through required preschool vision screenings, which vary in their comprehensiveness. No standardization for testing or administration exists. Some of the testing procedures used may have inappropriately high…

A factor analysis of the Carrow Auditory-Visual Abilities Test identified common factors in a population of 1,032 nondisabled 4- through 10-year-olds and a clinical population of language-disordered or learning-disabled peers with auditory and/or visual perception problems. Most subtests fell into factors attributed to auditory or visual…

Medical and psychosocial screening of 149 abused and neglected children entering the foster care system in Cook County, Illinois, found the children to have a greater incidence of chronic medical conditions, weigh less, be shorter, have a high incidence of developmental delays, and have deficits in adaptive behavior. (Author/DB)

Research literature is reviewed that shows a relationship between phonemic skills and learning to decode written words. Several tests that can be used to assess phonemic skills are described. The role of the school psychologist in screening and monitoring kindergarten and first grade children for possible deficits in phonemic skills is discussed.…

During a major population study of adolescent functioning, pupils from four comprehensive schools were used to compare validity of several screening measures in this age group. Showed that screening instruments tended to be behavior specific and that antisocial and neurotic behavior were relatively sex specific. (Author)

To improve children's chances of early success, Chesterfield County, Virginia, piloted a junior kindergarten program for children of legal school age who are not developmentally ready for kindergarten. Designed to prevent early failure syndrome, this three-year program emphasizes accurate student placement, high teacher-student ratios, and…

Positivist-empiricist assumptions which underlie most social science theories form the foundation for textbooks in early childhood special education, screening test, and early identification measures. Holism, phenomenology, and social constructionism provide more adequate principles for work in these areas. (Author/LHW)

This article presents a study of a program in Peoria, Illinois, for the gifted and talented that serves as a national test case for gifted education and minority enrollment. It was concluded that referral, identification, and selection were appropriate for the program model but that inequalities resulted from socioeconomic variables. (Author/LMO)

A study of cancer screening by internal medicine residents in an inner-city clinic revealed that screening was more frequent for male patients, and breast examinations and Pap smears were performed on less than a third of female patients, suggesting a need for more intensive early-detection education of residents. (MSE)

Compared beginning kindergarten subtest scores on Vane Test of Language and Vane Kindergarten Test to Metropolitan Achievement Test Scores in reading and math, Otis-Lennon School Ability Test Index, and placement into special education or high achievement programs following second grade. Results revealed effective predictability of the screening…

Theoretical implications of individual differences among infants in responsiveness to visual novelty being predictive of later intelligence differences are discussed. Issues discussed include: continuity of intelligence over development, relation of aspects of information processing to intelligence, role of hereditary and environmental influences…

An ecologically-based model is offered to guide the assessment activities of school psychologists at the preschool level. The uniqueness of the preschool population, the multidimensional structure of the assessment process, and the connection between assessment results and the intervention strategies are emphasized. (Author/LMO)

The Figural, Symbolic, and Semantic dimensions or the Structure of Intellect Learning Abilities (SOI-LA) tests have been employed as prescriptive tools for matching students to appropriate methods of reading instruction. A multiple-group factor analysis revealed strong evidence of their construct validity in a normative sample of 364 second…

Describes a screening device, the Barclay Early Childhood Skill Assessment System (BECSAS), which uses teacher, child, and parent input and spells out possible intervention strategies based on specific deficits. Reports the use of the BECSAS to analyze the relationship between parent education level and student skill deficits. (JAC)