Assessment in School Psychology Training and Practice

Abstract

This study is an empirical analysis of current use of assessment instruments by school psychologists. Data collected from a national survey of 251 practitioners found the Wechsler Intelligence Scales, Bender-Gestalt, and Draw-A-Person to be most often utilized. Information regarding training practices collected from 156 school psychology faculty indicated strong relationships between training and practice. The frequency and specific measures employed were strikingly similar to those reported by Goh, Teslow, and Fuller (1981) over a decade ago. The effectiveness of the current measures used to solve the increasingly diverse problems of educators, the role of trainers as programmers of assessment, and the resistance of the field to change are discussed.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Marilyn S. Wilson

Marilyn S. Wilson, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Psychology at California State University, Fresno. Her research focuses on training and practice in school psychology and on gender issues in psychology and education. Current studies include the relations among teacher self efficacy, student behaviors and achievement, and special education referrals.

Daniel J. Reschly

Daniel J. Reschly, PhD, is Distinguished Professor in Liberal Arts and Sciences and Director of the School Psychology Program at Iowa State University. Reschly has written extensively on system reform topics, school psychology practice issues, legal issues in assessment and classification with minority students, and behavioral interventions.