The practicum in school psychology: Making use of a university-based psychological service center

This paper examines the manner in which a university clinic may be used to provide a portion of a school psychology student's practicum experiences. Advantages highlighted include providing a broader base of experience than just those of the public school system, and intensive and varied doctoral-level supervision. Discussion centered on the continued need for providing practicum experiences that expose students to a variety of situations.     

Concurrent validity of the revised Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test

In this investigation, the relationships between the Revised Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, the Peabody Individual Achievement Test, and McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities were explored. The sample included 26 children randomly selected from three classes in an elementary school. The Revised Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test correlated positively and significantly with the Peabody Individual Achievement Test's total score (.53) and most of its subtests. The Revised Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test also correlated significantly with the Verbal, Quantitative, Memory, and General Cognitive Indexes of the McCarthy Scales (Median r = .76). The mean Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test score was 104.6 and nearly identical to the McCarthy General Cognitive Index (104.4) but significantly smaller than the Peabody Individual Achievement total test score (114.5).     

Interpretation of academic strengths and weaknesses on the peabody individual achievement test

The Peabody Individual Achievement Test yields scores in Mathematics, Reading Recognition, Reading Comprehension, Spelling, and General Information. In order to determine academic strengths and weaknesses, the test Manual suggests a pairwise comparison system to determine when one academic area is significantly different from another. The aim of the present study was to develop a more efficient system of determining academic strengths and weaknesses relative to a child's average performance on the entire test than the pairwise technique advocated by the authors.     

Special education placement decisions as a function of professional role and handicapping condition

The restrictiveness of special education placements was examined by profession (administrators, school psychologists, and special education teacters) and by type of handicapping condition (mental retardation [MR], emotional disturbance [ED], and learning disability [LD]). A total of 66 professionals (22 in each profession) assigned placement scores, using the Rucker-Gable Educational Placement Scale, on the basis of three psychological reports (one MR, ED, and LD case per professional). Results indicated that the average placement scores for the three cases combined did not differ significantly by profession. However, a significant interaction occurred, with administrators assigning the MR and ED cases to more restrictive placements than both the school psychologists and special educators, only to shift to a relatively less restrictive approach with the LD case. Implications of these findings are discussed, including a discussion of the multidisciplinary approach to clinical decision making.     

Parent involvement in early childhood special education: Opportunities for school psychologists

Increased opportunities for assessment and intervention, consultation, and program evaluation in early childhood education are suggested as roles that the school psychologist should develop to facilitate effective parent involvement in a child's education. A review of the literature on parent involvement in early childhood special education is provided. The current federal guidelines, rationale, definitions of parent involvement, and strategies for evaluating parent involvement are reviewed.