Explores the impact of gender and developmental level on coping-skills acquisition in adolescence. Suggestions for helping youth to develop effective coping strategies are provided from both a prevention and an intervention perspective. (Author/MKA)

A two-phase study was conducted with elementary and junior high school students to compare learning styles for students with conduct and emotional problems. Findings were examined in light of federal special-education eligibility criteria, specifically the exclusion of "socially maladjusted" students. Implications for the multidisciplinary…

The discriminant validity of the Upper Preschool Level of the Differential Ability Scales (DAS) was studied using 32 at-risk preschoolers and 30 normal preschoolers. Results indicate that the DAS was an excellent measure to use when trying to differentiate between at-risk and normal preschoolers, and could reliably identify whether a child was at…

The reliability and validity properties of the Brigance K&1 screen were examined with a sample of 134 Head Start children preparing to enter kindergarten. Prediction/outcome analyses, intended to explore the test's accuracy in predicting special-education status at the end of preschool, indicated a relatively high false negative rate and a…

The Tell-Me-a-Story (TEMAS) is analyzed, reviewed, and critiqued with regard to theoretical underpinnings and rationale for development, administration, scoring, psychometric properties, and research to date. TEMAS has evidence of reliability and validity, and may achieve more accurate assessment of Black and Hispanic children. Limitations of the…

Reexamines the reliability and validity of the Peabody Individual Achievement Test-Revised (PIAT-R) and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) Written Expression scoring systems, applying theory and more appropriate statistical analyses. The WIAT written-expression scoring system was found to have more items that were both reliable and…

Provides critical examination of research published during past ten years addressing Conduct Disorder (CD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and internalizing disorders. Concludes comorbidity varies with age, gender, informant, diagnostic criteria, and nature of the sample. Implications of comorbidity…

Investigates the effects of label, child's gender and race, child's educational placement, and availability of definitional information on prognostic judgments for children with behavior problems. Undergraduate students (N=363) enrolled in teacher education read a vignette and completed a prognostic outlook questionnaire. Results indicate a…

Investigates school-psychology trainers' identification of current stressors in the work lives of practitioners. While there appears to be general agreement between faculty trainers and practitioners on the identification and relative ranking of work-related stress, faculty trainers consider those events to be more stressful than do the…

Nineteen directors of mental-health services at independent, college-preparatory, boarding schools were interviewed. Statistical analysis found that tremendous diversity exists within the sample and offers some early guidelines of mental-health services for such schools in the areas of administration, structure of services,…

Investigates the validity of the Roberts Apperception Test for Children (RATC) by examining the appropriateness of the standardization norms with other nonclinical samples. Findings suggest that the children in this study form a separate and distinct group from the well-adjusted children upon which the RATC scales were normed and supports previous…

Describes the development of the Readiness Inventory (RI), a measure of readiness for first grade. The RI was completed on 139 first-grade children and analyzed using a model of Item Response Theory. Findings indicate that behaviors dealing with academic skills are less indicative of readiness than abilities dealing with role-governed behaviors or…

Reports on a survey investigating the use of dynamic assessment and other nontraditional techniques among school psychologists (N=226). Results indicated that 39% of respondents reported using dynamic assessment techniques once a year or more. The most frequently endorsed reasons for not using dynamic assessment were lack of knowledge and time…

Compares students' own notetaking strategies with that of short- and long-form guided notes. Results indicate that both guided notes procedures were successful at increasing the accuracy of students' notes, improving session quiz scores, and were overwhelmingly preferred when compared with students taking their own notes. (Author/GCP)

Seeks to replicate and extend research on academic assignment preference by presenting high school students with control assignments containing eight mathematics reading problems, experimental assignments that contained eight equivalent problems, and three additional interspersed problems. Significantly more students ranked the experimental…