This article presents the background, the history, and the implications of the Larry P. v Riles decisions in 1972 and in 1979 in which a federal district court enjoined California from using any standardized intelligence tests to assess Black children for eligibility for classes of educable mentally retarded. (Author/CTM)

The analysis in this article is directed to the basic issues: Are IQ tests biased against Black children? And are IQ tests valid for the placement of Black children in special programs? The research evidence on these major issues is ambiguous and contradictory. (Author/CTM)

The Larry P. decision is criticized with reference to: (1) predictive tests and the standard curriculum; (2) the court's portrayal of special classes; (3) the effects of the 1972 decision on special class enrollment; (4) semantic confusion; and (5) the impact on Black children who experience academic difficulty. (Author/CTM)

This article addresses the question of why intelligence tests were put on trial. The courts had to weigh the validity of intelligence tests once California chose to rely upon intelligence tests to justify the large numbers of Black children in classes for the educable mentally retarded. (Author/CTM)

Self-help training is most effective when it involves assessing skills and deficits prior to training; developing training goals based upon consideration of the individual's ultimate level of functioning; preparing the training environment; implementing effective training programs; evaluating training effectiveness; and promoting maintenance and…

Suggests ways in which school psychologists can adopt broader role in thinking skills movement. Discusses meaning of term "thinking skills"; distinguishes thinking skills movement in "general sense" from thinking skills movement in "restricted sense"; and discusses hindrances to school psychologists' involvement in general thinking skills…

Defines self-modeling as positive change in behavior that results from repeated observations of oneself on videotapes that depict only appropriate or desired behaviors. Sees self-modeling as effective, short-term, and relatively inexpensive technique that can be used by school psychologists in educational settings. Presents case study in which…

Summarizes general features of domain of internalizing disorders in children and adolescents. Sees internalizing disorders, including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, somatic disorders, and suicidal behaviors as associated with overcontrolled behaviors. Emphasizes need for psychologists and other mental health professionals to…

Illustrates use of time-series designs for determining efficacy of interventions with fictitious data describing drug-abuse prevention program. Discusses problems and procedures associated with time-series data analysis using Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Averages (ARIMA) models. Example illustrates application of ARIMA analysis for…

Explains rational-emotive theory and therapy and its applications to school psychology, highlighting distinction between disturbed and nondisturbed emotions and distinction between irrational and rational beliefs. Presents history of rational-emotive therapy and its application to emotional problems of children. Reviews research in…

Presents rational-emotive therapy (RET) conceptualization of childhood disorders, discussing interaction of child temperament and parenting styles. Discusses RET child treatment goals, which involve modification of negative and inappropriate childhood emotions. Illustrates particular RET cognitive change methods (philosophical disputation;…

Examines two types of rational-emotive therapy (RET) parent consultation (indirect service to the child and parent mental health consultation) and describes implementation of RET with parents from either nonclinical or clinical populations. Major focus is to illustrate through case studies and RET material ways in which both levels of RET parent…

Notes that irrational beliefs are significantly related to teacher stress levels and that teacher stress management interventions having most evidence of effectiveness employ cognitive restructuring components based on rational-emotive therapy procedures. Notes that programs use stress inoculation training framework and provide behavioral and…

Presents conceptual framework for conducting curriculum-based assessment (CBA) which links together several models of CBA. Notes that integrated model begins with assessment of academic environment, assesses grade placement of child across curriculum materials, assesses child's instructional level within correctly placed grade-level material,…

Focuses on one judgmental issue in cognitive psychology that depicts mixed results--subjects' use of and failure to use base rates in category predictions. Examines conditions that induce or prevent subjects from using base rates, and uses these conditions to analyze study of special education decision making. Evaluates potential of base rate…