Discusses the development of a school psychology practicum via a cooperative arrangement between the University of Southern Mississippi and the Hattiesburg school system. Outlines the wide range of training experiences available in this type of setting and discusses practicum requirements and student evaluation procedures. (Author/DS)

Perceptions of elementary principals were compared to findings of supervisors of psychological services on a 13-item questionnaire. Both groups rated generalist skills and individual diagnostic testing and consulation as important, and remedial instruction as unimportant. Implications for university trainers and field psychologists were noted.…

Discusses ethical dilemmas concerning "duty-to-warn" laws (the duty of school personnel to warn an intended known victim of impending harm, thus breaking bonds of confidentiality). Presents selected relevant court cases that have influenced duty-to-warn applications, and discusses AIDS and duty-to-warn. Offers working guidelines for…

A study assessed the perceptions of 59 school psychologists toward effectiveness and use of instructional adaptations in inclusive classrooms. Overall, the results indicate that most of the instructional adaptations were seen as effective, particularly providing reinforcement and encouragement to students and monitoring students' understanding of…

Reports that the five assumptions underlying behavioral consultation (BC) have remained static for 19 years, which has partly limited examination of other issues related to a triadic behavior change process. Argues that BC has not sufficiently stimulated the development of programmatic research and considers the possibility that alternative…

Survey of full and intern members of 10 state school psychology associations indicate that a higher proportion of women are entering the field. Results indicate no gender differences in the number of days worked yearly, number of hours worked daily, number of yearly evaluations completed, or the number of assigned schools. (RJM)

An exploratory study of New York City public schools found that school psychologists' commitment to students decreased with both professional and organizational socialization but increased for female, older, and less experienced psychologists and was greater for school psychologists at the secondary level. Organizational goals may not give enough…

Presents a conceptual framework for exploring the evolution of school psychology in different countries. The proposed framework provides a synthesis and expands transnational considerations of the following basic domains: role and specialty definition; legal issues; education/preparation, accreditation; scientific and professional associations;…

Describes the role and primary functions of school-based health centers, describes several important issues in developing and implementing the centers, and reviews the effectiveness of services provided through school-based health centers. Notes that participation on school-based health services delivery enables school psychologists to expand…

Presents a response to "School Psychologists as Health-Care Providers in the 21st Century: Conceptual Framework, Professional Identity, and Professional Practice" (this issue). The author highlights some of the reforms required of the profession to respond to these challenges and describes implications for the training of practitioners.…

Looks at the growing trend of mental-health specialists in schools to address the psychological needs of students. Discusses the traditional approach, in which the mental-health specialist functions as an outside consultant advising teachers, and the nontraditional approach, in which the specialist provides direct services to students. (WFA)

Findings from 83 school psychologists revealed that a typical battery for assessing severely emotionally disturbed students consisted on Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, Wide-Range Achievement Test, Bender-Gestalt, an incomplete sentence test, a behavior-rating scale, classroom observation, and informal interviews. Psychologists…

Finds that seven educational diagnosticians: did not give equal consideration to student language and culture variables in four decisions about bilingual special education assessment methods, varied in reliability across decisions, and showed higher reliability when aware of own decision making processes. Contains 20 references and 10 statistical…

Surveyed national sample of 151 school psychologists. Results revealed discrepancies between preparation and job responsibilities. Respondents indicated that they had received limited training in reading, that 77 percent of referrals involved reading problems, that they made reading recommendations but felt they lacked expertise, and that they…

Surveyed 362 school psychologists concerning involvement in vocational practice. Results indicated that between 30 and 40 percent of respondents reported some involvement in vocational assessment, vocational counseling, and consultation with vocational education teachers, while only 12 percent indicated involvement with vocational program or…