THIS IS A METHODOLOGICAL STUDY TO DETERMINE IF RELIABLE AND VALIDLY COMPARABLE DATA CAN BE OBTAINED FROM SCALES DESIGNED FOR USE WITH HEARING IMPAIRED, VISUALLY IMPAIRED, AND NON-IMPAIRED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THE MAJOR INSTRUMENTS ASSESSED SELF CONCEPT OF ACADEMIC ABILITY. IT WAS CONCLUDED ON THE BASIS OF CROSS-VALIDATION AND OTHER ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES THAT RELIABLE AND VALIDLY COMPARABLE DATA CAN BE OBTAINED IN MASS TESTING WHEN CERTAIN METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES ARE FOLLOWED. A SUBPHASE OF THE STUDY INCLUDED A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF IMPAIRED RESIDENTIAL AND NON-IMPAIRED PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT (1) SELF CONCEPT OF ABILITY ACCOUNTS FOR MORE VARIATION IN GRADE POINT AVERAGE THAN IQ, (2) SELF CONCEPT IS AN INTERVENING VARIABLE BETWEEN ACHIEVEMENT AND PERCPETIONS OF OTHERS, (3) TEACHERS' EVALUATIONS HAVE A GREATER IMPACT ON SELF CONCEPT OF STUDENTS WHO ARE IMPAIRED AND IN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS THAN ON NON-IMPAIRED STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, (4) PARENTS OF HEARING IMPAIRED RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS ARE PERCEIVED AS BEING LESS CONCERNED ABOUT HOW WELL THEY DO IN SCHOOL WHEN COMPARED TO PARENTS OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND NON-IMPAIRED STUDENTS, AND (5) THE HEARING IMPAIRED CAME FROM FAMILIES WITH LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS LEVELS. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE GIVEN FOR DEVELOPING SCALES AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES FOR OBTAINING RELIABLE AND COMPARABLE SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL DATA THROUGH QUESTIONNAIRES AND FOR EXTENDING SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH INVOLVING HEARING IMPAIRED, VISUALLY IMPAIRED, AND NON-IMPAIRED POPULATIONS. APPENDIXES INCLUDE QUESTIONNAIRE SCHEDULES, SCHOOL RECORDS DATA, AND ADDITIONAL TABLES. FORTY REFERENCES ARE GIVEN. (AUTHOR)