The "Education for All Handicapped Children Act" (1975) requires that all children with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education. Determining who has a disability and who is eligible for special services, however, is not an exact science. While practices differ greatly both across and within states, screening is an…

This manual on screening preschool children to identify their need for special education services presents key elements of an "ideal" screening program as well as practices to be avoided. Common barriers to implementation of each "ideal" practice are identified, and suggestions are provided for possible solutions. Topics covered include:…

This sixth-year (1986 through 1992) summative evaluation examines in depth the participant attributes, services provided, and longitudinal benefits of the Early Childhood Development programs in the Kansas City, Missouri, school district. The report contains the following: (1) profile of participants in the Parents as Teachers (PAT) and Early…

A total of 948 minority children of 2-5 years of age from inner-city areas of Newark, New Jersey participated in a study that aimed to identify gifted preschool children. The study was designed to develop and validate a screening instrument and establish an enrichment program that would nurture the unique abilities of the gifted children. The…

The efficacy of use of the Raven Progressive Matrices Test (RPM) in the selection of gifted children from traditionally underrepresented groups was investigated in a large-scale study with a diverse population. A total of 16,985 subjects were given the Raven Progressive Matrices Test. These included 22.7 percent Latinos, 37 percent Whites, 14…

The primary purpose of testing in early childhood is to identify children who may be at risk for learning problems so they may be placed in appropriate educational environments. Testing is popular because educators take at face value the claim by test developers that using standardized test instruments to classify, retain, or promote children is…

A longitudinal comparative study was made of the physical growth and development of Australian fourth-grade students from low, medium, and high socioeconomic groups. Specific questions addressed were (1) Do children differing in socioeconomic status differ in anthropometric characteristics and incidence of physical defects? (2) What is the…

This paper examines some impacts of basic skills proficiency testing of teachers in Arizona. A discussion of some legal issues involved in teacher proficiency testing is presented. Specific cases are cited which illustrate the fact that the courts have ruled that testing must show "job-relatedness" and a "rational basis for…

The objectives were to analyse the occupational stress of educators, to determine the differences between occupational stress and strain of educators in different biographical groups, and to assess the relationship between occupational stress, organisational commitment and ill-health. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A stratified random…

In searching for a process to help program teams of campus-based faculty and field-based educators develop five-year and annual statewide program plans, cooperative extension administrators and specialists in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences discovered that the use of the logic model process can influence the successful design of…

This review of early intervention for preschool children with learning disabilities examines: (1) definitions of learning disabilities; (2) characteristics of learning-disabled children and children at risk; (3) identification of preschool children at risk; (4) efficacy of early intervention; (4) phases of an early intervention program, including…

Three measures of self-concept or self-esteem and one measure of social competency development, designed for young children, are assessed. The instruments assessed include: (1) the Martinek-Zaichkowski Self-Control Scale for Children (MZSCSC); (2) the Behavioral Academic Self-Esteem Scale (BASE); (3) the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale…

Conducted by New York State's Legislative Commission on Expenditure Review (LCER), this program audit reviews the implementation of the 1980 legislative mandate that all new public school entrants be screened for handicapping conditions or giftedness and that children scoring below specified scores on third and eighth grade statewide standardized…

A longitudinal study was designed to develop and evaluate a screening instrument of developmental delay based on parental assessment of 18-month-old children. The reliability and validity of a parental screening instrument based on the Griffiths Mental Developmental Scale was investigated with a sample of 2,783 Swedish children out of a population…

Results of a study of remedial education at all Maryland public colleges and universities, except for three campuses, are presented. Findings include: (1) by fall 1985 all institutions will have in place a systematic screening process to identify students lacking in one or more basic skill areas; (2) while all campuses collect some evaluative data…