In the past decade, American and Canadian pediatric societies have recommended that pediatric care clinicians follow a schedule of routine surveillance and screening for young children to detect conditions such as developmental delay, speech and language delays and disorders, and autism spectrum disorder. The goal of these recommendations is to…

This paper aims to translate for practitioners the principles and methods for evaluating screening measures in education, including benchmark goals and cut points, from our technical manuscript "Evaluation of Diagnostic Systems: The Selection of Students at Risk of Academic Difficulties" (this issue). We offer a brief description of…

This paper reviews current proposals concerning the definition of dyslexia and contrasts it with reading comprehension impairment. We then discuss methods for early identification and review evidence that teacher assessments and ratings may be valid screening tools. Finally, we argue that interventions should be theoretically motivated and…

Straightforward, practical, and user friendly, this unique guide addresses an essential component of decision making in schools. The authors show how systematic screenings of behavior--used in conjunction with academic data--can enhance teachers' ability to teach and support all students within a response-to-intervention framework. Chapters review…

In May 2010, the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) at Georgetown University released the monograph "Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems" (Leone & Weinberg, 2010). The monograph examined a number of topics relevant to the education and experiences of…

Many school systems are adopting three-tiered models of prevention (e.g., Response to Intervention and Positive Behavior Support) to support an increasingly diverse student population (Sugai, Horner, & Gresham, 2002). A central feature of these models is that data are monitored to determine responsiveness. We offer this paper as a guide for…

Planning, developing, implementing, and sustaining organizational change, such as Response to Intervention (RTI), is a complex endeavor. This brief is designed to give practitioners guidance based on the implementation activities of middle school practitioners across the country. The authors recognize that secondary schools must consider many…

Some young children show signs that they may not be learning in an expected manner, even during the prekindergarten (PreK) years. These children may exhibit learning challenges in areas such as developing language, counting objects, hearing differences in letter sounds, paying attention during story time, or learning how to write. Teachers,…

This paper provides an overview of screening, identification, and assessment tools and processes that can be used by practitioners and researchers who care for immigrant and refugee youth. The authors focus particularly on those tools useful in school-based settings. First, the authors review mental health needs of immigrant and refugee youth and…

This research report provides an evaluation of a screening program to identify potentially gifted or handicapped children among new entrants to New York City schools. Chapter 53 of the New York State Education Laws (1980) requires screening of students in the areas of physical development, cognitive skills, receptive and expressive language,…

This handbook provides arts specialists and gifted coordinators with procedures for identifying students who are gifted in music. All personnel who are developing district identification procedures and trained individuals who will be involved in the screening and identification of gifted children in the area of music should read this handbook. To…

The study examines the effectiveness of the New York City mandated (Chapter 53 of the Laws of 1980) screening program to identify handicapped and gifted students entering kindergarten or first grade. Noted are the law's assumptions: (1) that it is possible to determine giftedness or handicapping conditions at ages 5 and 6; (2) that it is possible…

Childhood voice disorders require aggressive management that includes early identification, prevention, and treatment. This aggressive approach calls for re-examining incidence trends and norms; developing a better understanding of laryngologists' expectations; and developing programs for mass voice screening, prevention, and public and…

Issues in current methods of identifying gifted students include the referral process (e.g., problems with establishing a referral rate) and selection standards (problems of criteria, educational setting, level, bias, instruments, and decisions). An ongoing continuing screening process and education of decision makers about sound measurement…

Early identification of social-emotional behavioral problems in infants and preschoolers is critical. Nine parent-report and caregiver/teacher-report instruments measuring preschool social-emotional behavioral problems and strengths are reviewed. Advantages to the use of parent-report and caregiver/teacher-report instruments are that they are easy…