School psychologists should play a critical role in determining the policy implications of effective early childhood education and development programs. The tools of knowledge they use are: (1) human growth and development, learning, and program impact; (2) effects of programs on children; and (3) program implementation at the local level. (Author)

The evaluation of school psychological services is a responsibility and an opportunity too long ignored. This paper describes and presents examples of five data collection devices which can be used in the evaluation effort: the vignette-based questionnaire, the role-model questionnaire, the services received questionnaire, the teacher interview,…

A study of special educators (n=21), bilingual credentialed teachers (n=21), and school psychologists (n=21) examined their judgments regarding how portfolio data compared to traditional standardized assessment data. Results indicate that portfolio data led to more numerous, specific, and detailed recommendations and judgments, and is more…

Proposes the use of family-school meetings as a means of closing the current gap between families and schools when helping children who are experiencing difficulties. The collaborative approach advanced here eschews directive interventions and favors a view of counseling as a series of therapeutic conversations where meanings are co-constructed…

Argues for a unifying concept for consultation research and practice based on the principle of social validity, a principle which includes the evaluation of the social importance of the effects produced by intervention procedures. Suggests that relying exclusively on consultees to socially validate goals, procedures, and outcomes is misguided. (75…

Study demonstrates how Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) could be applied to common measurement issues within school psychology literature. CFA used to test several alternative factor structures thought to underlie a commonly used measure of exposure to community violence. Data were collected from 242 elementary and middle school, inner city,…

School psychologists (N=261) in New South Wales, Australia, were surveyed regarding their attitudes toward mainstreaming and asked to identify resources required to meet the needs of disabled students in regular classrooms. Subjects generally saw their role as consultative rather than interventionist and attached little importance to knowledge of…

Fifty-six school psychologists reviewed a hypothetical case study designed to investigate their interpretations of different norm-referenced test scores. Subjects were more likely to recommend special education programs for normal students when percentile scores were used. School psychologists need to become more familiar with the properties of…

The belief that schizophrenia is a brain disease is the consensus among families of persons with mental illness and is supported by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. This article summarizes implications for psychologists from the following standpoints: (1) etiology; (2) vulnerability; (3) treatment; (4) rehabilitation; (5) assessment;…

Argues that guidelines for evaluating computer applications within psychology are not having sufficient impact on professional practices because a gap exists between information available to users and information needed to make informed decisions. Surveys of software vendors and practicing psychologists are described to support this view and…

Providers of psychoeducational assessment services for hearing-impaired children, from infants to adolescents, were surveyed concerning their educational and experiential background, communication modes used, problems encountered, and educational placements of assessed children. Frequency of use scores and rankings are reported for psychological…

Investigated developmental changes in novices' personal theories of consulting. Used variation of Kelly's (1955) role repertory grid technique to explore changes in school psychology graduate students' (n=9) cognitive representations of consultant role following nine-month consultation practicum experience. Interviews before and after practicum…

How the performance appraisal system for school psychologists in North Carolina was developed and implemented is described. The evaluation system was developed with consideration for those to be evaluated and with respect for the needs of individuals as well as organizations. (SLD)

Investigated factors considered by 118 school psychologists, 119 principals, and 108 special education teachers in making distinction between students with serious emotional disturbance and those with social maladjustment. Found moderate disagreement between groups on behavioral or background descriptors differentiating emotionally disturbed and…

This survey of 120 school psychologist trainers found that (1) there is widespread familiarity with dynamic assessment as a model of cognitive assessment; (2) few trainers are actually using the procedures; (3) most trainers do not mention it in their courses; and (4) trainers see the model's primary asset as its focus on learning processes rather…