Joseph L. French

Organization and content of graduate programs in school psychology

Abstract All 241 members of the Council of Graduate Schools were sent a questionnaire regarding training programs in school psychology. A total of 87 programs were located. Approximately 2000 students were enrolled, with the majority being trained at the subdoctoral level. Less than half of all the students were classified as full time. The course and internship requirements of the existing programs were in accord with guidelines prepared by Division 16 of the American Psychological Association. Financial support of students came from a variety of sources but tended to be limited.

Dissertation Research in School Psychology, 1978-1980.

Abstract Programs granting doctoral degrees in school psychology were surveyed to ascertain the nature of the dissertation research completed during the years 1978–1980. Dissertations were classified by program directors or the authors as to subject area of study, type of research methodology, and types of subjects. Trends in each of these areas of classification were examined by comparing the data from the present study with data from the previous efforts of Tindall (1968) and Ysseldyke and Pickholtz (1975). Also, a comparison was made between dissertation content and the professional literature, as well as an examination of the difference between PhD and EdD school psychology dissertations.

Characteristics of Doctoral and Nondoctoral School Psychology Programs: Their Implications for the Entry-Level Doctorate.

Abstract In the past 10 years the number of graduates in school psychology has doubled, and student enrollment has tripled. Rapid growth in the psychological profession has brought with it an attempt to make the doctoral degree the minimal credential for entry to independent practice. Examination of the characteristics of doctoral and nondoctoral training programs in school psychology suggests that each type of program has distinct points in its favor.

Development of a Cognitive Ability Test for 2-Year-Olds with Motor or Speech Delays

Items proposed for estimating intelligence of children 2 years of age were studied and found ready for experimental use as a downward extension of the Pictorial Test of Intelligence (French, 1964). The items require neither speech nor manipulation of objects by the child. Each child responded to the experimental items and the Mental portion of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID). Biserial correlations for each new item with the BSID were determined, as were difficulty indices, and estimates of internal consistency. Items then were rearranged in order of difficulty or eliminated based on the difficulty and/or biserial correlations. A high correlation of the experimental items and BSID-Mental Scale scores suggests that cognitive development between 21 and 29 months can be determined for children without speech and/or fine motor skill, but who have near-normal hearing and visual acuity and who understand English.

The K-ABC and Cognitive Processing Styles in Autistic Children.

Abstract The theoretical basis of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) and its potential for use as a diagnostic instrument with autistic children was evaluated. Because it has been suggested that a central cognitive defect results in the deficits of autistic children in processing information in a sequential manner, autistic children should favor a simultaneous information-processing style as reflected in their performance on the K-ABC. A multiple discriminant analysis yielded no significant discriminant function that could differentiate a group of autistic children from a nonautistic control group of comparable cognitive ability on the basis of their K-ABC performance. In addition, t tests did not suggest a significant difference between Simultaneous and Sequential scores for either group, raising questions about whether autistic children truly possess deficits in sequential skills. The results of this study support the use of the K-ABC as a measure of general intellectual functioning but not as a measure of simultaneous and sequential processing.

Parenting of gifted children: A two edged sword

Parents of gifted children must also be their advocates in order to act upon the the social and academic development of their children.

An Essay on Becoming a School Psychologist when School Psychology was Becoming.

Abstract The perceptions of one of the few midwestern school psychologists in the 1950s is presented as another in a series of autobiographical histories of the specialty. After stumbling into school psychology, the author traced his professional growth and identified individuals who influenced him as school psychology was becoming a respected member of the psychology family. In the 1950s there were many roles for school psychologists. Their sphere of influence was wide. The career ladder was long. In the 1960s, with increasingly narrow preparation and role, school psychologists touched fewer professionals but more children. As the focus of school psychology narrowed, some of its leaders moved into other specialties; their place taken by energetic psychologists who earned parity with the leading specialties providing health services in psychology.

Development and Analysis of a Measure of Children's Goal-Setting: The Level of Aspiration Indicator.

The process of setting realistic goals to guide behavior is inextricably bound with childrens perceptions of their self-worth. Unrealistic goals and poor self-perceptions influence strikingly the ability of children to learn and adjust in school. Thus, it is vital that educational diagnosticians, counselors, school psychologists, and teachers be able to assess childrens goal-setting tendencies and self-perceptions as they affect school adjustment. Responding to this need and the dearth of practical scales to screen aspiration levels in young children, this study was designed to establish the reliability in young children, this study was designed to establish the reliability and validity of a goal-setting measure for children. Third, fourth, and fifth grade students (N= 84) were administered the Level of Aspiration indicator and the Piers-Harris Childrens Self-Concept Scale concurrently. The subsequent results established the technical adequacy of the Level of Aspiration indicator as a screening instrument and further defined the self-concept/level of aspiration relationship as supporting evidence of construct validity. Applied implications for school psychologists, elementary counselors, and educational diagnosticians are discussed.

The revised ITPA: Its reliability and validity for use with EMRs☆

Abstract Twenty-one EMR subjects were administered the Revised ITPA twice, employing three month intervals. Six criterion instruments were also administered to explore concurrent validity. It was determined that the ITPA is a fairly stable instrument. A coefficient of at least .80 was obtained for six of the subtests; four others were above .70. Two of the subtests, Visual Reception and Sound Blending, appeared to lack sufficient stability to be used diagnostically and remedially. Validity of the subtests examined was neither confirmed nor disproven since in most cases there was more than one significant correlation between criterion tests and other ITPA subtests which the presence of a g factor and the heterogeneous nature of the sample might help to explain.

Intellectual Growth in Young Children

Since very few detailed psychological records exist for young children under relatively free conditions over long periods of time, the author prepared this volume which is based on work carried on for slightly more than three years in a Cambridge school for young children beginning in October, 1924. This volume is primarily of historical value. The 1966 copyright should not mislead potential readers, and the authors preface makes the time of study and writing very clear. The author gathered data pertaining to both intellectual and social aspects of mental development but divided the presentation into two volumes to allow for a theoretical discussion of each aspect. In this volume the process of discovery, reasoning, and thought, not the entire field of intellectual growth, was the primary concern of the author. In Social Development in Young Children, she discusses other aspects of the study. While relating her work more to that of Piaget than others, she refers to contemporary investigators in this and other countries such as: Gesell, Stern, Ferenczi, Spearman, Burt, Ballard, and Kohler in the first 110 pages. In the remaining 180pages, clinical observations are recorded which emphasize the importance of reinforcement.