Courts and the Congress have recently extended to school children safeguards encompassed by procedural due process in cases involving disciplinary suspensions and special education placements. The meaning of due process and its implications for psychologists are illustrated in a hypothetical dialogue between a constitutional lawyer and a school…

As a result of the gross injustice that existed in the education and treatment of handicapped children, there were over 30 lawsuits filed on their behalf. This overview of significant litigation points up the evidence presented in the lawsuits which should be of concern to the practice of school psychology. (Author)

The ethical dilemmas presented to the practicing school psychologist by the plethora of laws that dictate procedures, policies, and instrumentation are discussed. Coordination of efforts among various groups and development of political expertise is urged as a way to approach issues of concern to both psychologists and their clients. (Author)

Psychological maltreatment is increasingly receiving attention as a prevalent and destructive form of child abuse and neglect that constitutes a mental health problem. This article discusses the current state of knowledge of psychological maltreatment; a rationale for its study; its impact on school readiness and academic achievement; and…

Problems with "Placing Children in Special Education" include: its approach to aptitude-treatment interaction research, neglect of school psychologists' efforts to provide consultation services beyond assessments, and failure to recognize lack of support for deficit-centered remediation models. A remediation model which builds on…

The challenges faced by rural school psychologists are reviewed and contrasted with urban school settings. The difficulties in recruiting and retaining rural school psychologists are outlined, and suggestions for preservice training are recommended. Models for rural service delivery are discussed, stressing an interdisciplinary focus. (Author/GDC)

Microcomputers are influencing the field of school psychology. Current uses include test administration, scoring and interpretation, report writing, data management, statistics, research, time management, telecommunications networks, computer managed and computer assisted instruction, career guidance and large databases. This article reviews…

This article reviews the status and usefulness of career guidance approaches in schools. The concept that the child can be taught quite early to make correct career choices through the acquisition of generalized decision-making skills does not seem completely valid to the author. (NG)

Tables in this report present characteristics of professional staff employed in the Maryland public schools as of October 1998. The data were obtained from employment records provided by local education agencies and teacher certification records. Professional staff members include principals and assistant principals, teachers, librarians, guidance…

The emphasis of school psychology on prevention, early intervention, assessment, collaboration, and problem solving requires counselors to have a tremendous range of evidence-based knowledge. This publication, divided into two volumes, is designed to provide a comprehensive reference for school psychologists on contemporary research and…

This collection of resources is a response to the unprecedented crises for school children, staff, and communities in 1997-1998. It is based on and is an expansion of the November 1998 issue of "Communique," a book of handouts, and other National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) publications. This packet contains the applied…

This paper discusses the outcomes of a survey of 39 special education practitioners (including 24 school psychologists) and 280 elementary classroom teachers on the identification of students with reading disabilities. Practitioners were asked to rate five empirically valid and five clinical-traditional non-valid student traits for their…

Most school districts employ student support or "pupil services professionals," such as school psychologists, counselors, and social workers. These personnel perform services connected with mental health and psychosocial problems. The format usually is a combination of centrally based and school-based services. Amelioration of the full continuum…

Addresses the disproportionate representation of culturally and linguistically different children in special education classes. Proposes a three-tiered response model relating to the individual practitioner, the educational process, and a larger scaled systematic response to the issues. Effective practical suggestions are offered. (Author/JAC)

Rated personality and conduct problem behaviors by considering their significance in referring an elementary grade child for school psychological services. Results showed regular class teachers, special class teachers of the emotionally disturbed and school psychologists agreed on importance of behaviors. Conduct problems were prioritized by the…