As an initial screening device for admission to the Independent Study Program at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, a numeric value was developed for 596 first-year students. The value was based on a combination of under graduate grade point average and Medical College Admission Test scores.The predictive value of the technique was…

Kindergarten children (n=161) screened with the "Early Prevention of School Failure" (EPSF) measure were examined several years later. Students who had been retained, referred to special education, or placed in special education demonstrated significantly lower EPSF scores. The fine motor and auditory modalities were the most powerful…

The Missouri Parents as Teachers project developed in response to a 1984 state mandate requiring parent education and serves about 85,000 families with children, ages birth through 4. Components include home visits, group meetings, and early childhood developmental screenings. Discussed are the project's historical perspective, project evaluation,…

Five countable indices of writing quality were examined for their suitability in making special education screening-eligibility decisions, based on writing samples from 2,160 students. Even the best index was only moderately efficient. "Percentage of words spelled correctly" was best overall, and "percentage of correct word sequences" was best for…

Word lists spoken in Castillian, Caribbean, and Mexican dialects were compared to identify speech reception thresholds in 12 Spanish-speaking, Puerto Rican children (ages 6-7). No statistically significant differences were found among the dialects. (Author/DB)

The Preschool Development Inventory (PDI) obtains parents' assessments of their children's present development and possible problems. Of 220 children (ages 3 and 4), 11% obtained low General Development Scale scores, whereas 14% showed potential major obstacles to learning. Data concerning the PDI's sensitivity/specificity indicate that parents'…

The relationship between a kindergarten screening battery (KSB) and scores on the Stanford Achievement Test was studied as a function of race for 519 white and 183 Native American students in kindergarten through grade 4. Prediction of the child's achievement test scores is more accurate when race is considered. (SLD)

Efficiently and inexpensively identifying athletes at risk for exercise-related sudden death is difficult. The article discusses types of cardiac disorders and outlines a practical screening method that features a cardiac history questionnaire designed to identify symptomatic athletes and those with a family history of congenital heart disease.…

Telephone interviews were conducted with parents of 1,601 children to investigate the utility of a statewide (Ohio), first-step screening procedure called Developmental Profile II. With developmental delay specified as the outcome variable, six independent variables representing environmental and biological determinants were identified.…

The Test of Mathematical Abilities is used to identify students (ages 8-18) who are above or below age peers in 5 areas (attitude toward math, vocabulary, computation, general information, and story problems). This paper describes the test's administration, summation of data, standardization, reliability, and validity. (JDD)

Longitudinal data from 104 children administered the Slingerland Procedures in kindergarten and achievement tests in later grades found significant relationships between Slingerland measures and reading outcomes, with prediction varying across grades and according to the reading measure used. Listening contributed to reading comprehension but not…

Identified barriers that delay seeking professional care following school vision screening. Focus groups of parents, students, teachers, school and community health professionals, and community leaders highlighted several barriers, including lack of community awareness about certain visual problems, high costs of glasses, inconvenient appointment…

Draw-a-Person (DAP) samples from 108 adolescents and adults with mental retardation were scored using Naglieri's cognitive and emotional disturbance scoring systems. Visual-motor skills emerged as the best predictor of DAP cognitive scores, more predictive than intelligence. Findings suggest caution in using DAP as an index of intelligence or as a…

The present study involving 100 kindergartners provides clinicians with a practical tool for the assessment of invented spelling in kindergartners using the Invented Spelling subtest on the Early Reading Screening Instrument. Interpretations of assessment profiles are suggested, and guidelines for the development of intervention goals are…

The efficacy of screening two-year-old children for language delay using a parent report questionnaire was investigated in three related studies. Parents' reports of children's expressive vocabulary size was highly correlated with clinical language measures at age two, but somewhat less accurate at predicting developmental status a year later. (DB)