This article provides a rationale for incorporating early literacy screening into speech language services for young children with communication impairments. Recommendations concern identifying which children and what areas of literacy should be targeted for screening. Guidelines for interpreting findings and for using screening to guide early…

To examine the potential of classroom teachers as primary screening agents for learning difficulties, 197 kindergarten children were assessed on 6 measures. Best predictors of grade 1 achievement were the Metropolitan Readiness Tests and the Myklebust Pupil Rating Scale, both of which can be administered by teachers. Contains 22 references. (SV)

Two measures used for early detection of learning problems (Preschool Screening System and Denver Articulation Screening Exam) were tested for their predictive validity. Educational placement at the end of grade one was examined and compared to pre-kindergarten test scores on the two measures. Analysis found both measures to be valid. (Author/MSE)

Teachers rated elementary-aged students on the Critical Events Index of the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders instrument. In 2 studies, 74 students who were identified by teachers as the highest ranked externalizers and internalizers were found to exhibit strikingly different profiles on the Critical Events Index. Behavioral descriptions…

Advocates the testing and placement of incoming college students, arguing that students need access to information on their personal attributes and institutional options. Identifies criteria to be considered in selecting placement tests and making placement decisions. Offers suggestions for creating a systematic placement process. (DMM)

The article reviews the problem of following up high-risk inner city infants. Only 26 percent of infants discharged from urban neonatal intensive care units are followed developmentally. The high incidence (20 percent) of developmental delay identified during developmental screening in inner city community health clinics suggests the importance of…

The article describes the development and analysis of a system to identify and monitor high-risk students in postsecondary vocational training programs at vocational-technical institutes. The two instruments focus on (1) student satisfaction and (2) instructors' opinions on student abilities and attitudes (student "satisfactoriness')." (DB)

A profile-matching classification model was constructed and evaluated to extend use of the Personality Inventory for Children as a school assessment screening measure. Overall accuracy of the model with 248 (derivation sample) and 423 (replication sample) children was reasonable, and classification of profiles did not differ by race. (SLD)

Examined the usefulness of a multiple-stage screening procedure in identifying youth experiencing elevated levels of anxiety. Children in grades 4-7 completed a 3-stage screening procedure. Results paralleled outcomes for when the procedure was used to recognize depressed children. Concludes that multiple-stage screening can identify children…

Native Hawaiian preschoolers (n=172) received a battery of tests that included pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry, acoustic reflectometry, and pneumatic otoscopy. Approximately 15% of children failed a majority of the tests. Results are discussed in comparison to other indigenous groups at risk for middle ear disorders and hearing loss.…

Analysis of 150 case records of children identified to child protective services indicated the poor quality of health and developmental information provided for these children, information that would be useful in determining developmental status. A screening protocol is presented for use by child protective services workers to pinpoint indicators…

A study compared serum total cholesterol and blood pressure levels of participants in a voluntary national health screening with NHANES II estimates of the general U.S. population. Findings suggest the levels may not have decreased appreciably over 10 years; and continued national, state, and local behavior modification efforts are warranted. (SM)

The study evaluated how 21 first grade teachers differed in preferences, requirements, and expectations of students. Teachers ranked 86 student descriptors on a continuum of contributing to either student success or failure. Teachers were found to vary considerably in descriptor rankings, suggesting that teacher variations may be a factor in the…

Describes one college's mandatory mass cholesterol screening for new students. Each year, over 30 beginning students with unknown hypercholesterolemia were detected. The program suggests that mass screening efficiently and economically identifies students who would benefit from cholesterol reduction, a modifiable risk in coronary artery disease.…

Results from a standardized parent questionnaire were combined with results of an individually administered developmental screening instrument (the Early Screening Inventory) to predict more accurately which young children (n=1,296) will be at risk for school failure. Results showed the combined approach led to fewer misclassifications, thus…