An innovative kindergarten program was established as a federally funded project to pursue the following objectives: (1) to discover and develop the potential ability of each child, (2) to develop feelings of autonomy and self-worth, (3) to provide experiences for developing inquiring attitudes and for development of self-confidence and positive…

Past attempts to clarify the status of school psychology and to set guidelines for its future development are reviewed. The continuing problem for school psychology is identified as a lack of success in causing a coordinated implementation of a broad role and function which would achieve a position of recognized importance and influence for school…

As a result of court rulings and legislation which make it illegal to discriminate among children, but also illegal not to identify children who have educational handicaps, school psychologists are seen to face a role crisis in the education of handicapped children. Recommended for those working with the severely retarded are two types of…

Two factors are responsible for the abuses in testing of children: emotional expectations and a misdirected educational training system. The former is most prevalent among those who are not thoroughly trained in testing and test interpretation, and should be responded to by maintaining strict certification standards. The second reason for abuses…

Presented are 10 author-contributed papers given at a 1974 conference on the roles, problems, and skills of school psychologists and special education teachers who serve as consultants to facilitate the mainstreaming of handicapped children. The first section contains four case studies focusing on student behavior change (S. Deno), the Vermont…

This project was aimed at correcting reading difficulties in first and second grades in order to prevent later reading retardation, and was implemented in 22 of the 26 school districts eligible to receive Title I funds. Evaluation procedures, personnel, implementation patterns, affiliated hospital and university plans, reading clinic plans, and a…

The primary purpose of this paper is to discuss reasons why blacks should be concerned and actively involved with practices in behavior modification. The concern is that as these techniques are refined it becomes more important to be sure blacks should be involved at all levels of the application of these procedures when other blacks are subjects…

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…

In simulated cases, the placement decisions of professionals serving hearing-impaired students were compared to the decisions of members of New York's Committees on the Handicapped, both as committees and as subgroups of administrators, psychologists, special education teachers, or parents. Results showed that the groups placed relatively…

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…