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Advances in school psychology, vol. 1
Journal of School Psychology 1982.Vol. 20, No. 4
0022-4405/82/1600-0346$02.75 0 1982 The Journal of School Psychology, Inc.
REVIEWS OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGICAL MATERIALS JOHN R. BERGAN,
ASSOCIATE
EDITOR
Kratchowill, Thomas R. (Ed.). Advances in School psYchologv. Vol. 1. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence
Erlbaum
Associates,
1981. Pp. 344, $24.95 cloth,
illust.
This is the first volume in a series of annual publications “. . .designed to integrate original reviews of important developments each year relevant to the field of school psychology” (p. xv). Many disciplines contribute to the knowledge base and professional skills relevant to school psychology and the series has thus been broadly conceived. The topics covered will appeal to a variety of psychologists as well as those involved more directly in school psychology. Indeed, the first volume reflects just such a diversity of topics, ranging from a discussion of critical issues that will affect school psychology over the next decade to a new approach to assessment and intervention with children (termed path-referenced assessment) to a chapter by two MDs on the treatment of hyperactive, aggressive, and antisocial children. The series has been well conceived and is timely. An advisory board also has been established consisting of well recognized names in the profession. The eventual success of the series will depend on the timeliness and scope of the topics reviewed each year and the quality of the reviews provided, particularly with regard to the various authors’ success at providing integrative reviews that form a synthesis for future research and practice. The topics of the first volume are all timely and of concern to all who provide psychological services to children in educational settings. Though the volume has a decidedly behaviorai flavor, there is sufficient diversity among authors and topics not to eschew other legitimate approaches to school psychological services. To adequately balance such presentations is admirable. Evaluating the success of the volume in providing the type of newly integrative reviews that can lead to a foundation for future research and practice is a more difficult task. Some of the chapters are excellent, providing enthusiastic highs, while other chapters prove dismally low, failing to address their topic at other than a superficial level. The 10 chapters are led off by a brief prefatory chapter by the editor delineating the nature of the series and previewing the content of the volume. The second chapter, by Phillips, is an excellent presentation of critical issues in school psychology that are likely to shape its future over at least the next decade. Phillips has provided a fair, balanced view of a variety of controversial issues and introduces perspectives on new issues that are to confront the profession very soon. Far from being academic rhetoric, this chapter focuses on problems and issues that have direct relevance to practicing professionals in the schools and related agencies. The next chapter in the volume, “School Psychology: An Instrumental Service for the Handicapped,” is one of the disappointments of the work; it is somewhat dated, ponderous, and lacking in focus. This effort is followed by .another disappointing work, with the promising title, “Issues Surrounding the Diagnosis of Learning Disabilities: Child Handicap versus Faiiure of the Child-School Interaction.” The first two-thirds of this chapter have little to offer that is new or exciting; instead it rehashes tired problems. This is more than made up for by the last third, however, which lives up to the chapter title and formalizes an exciting child-school interaction model of learning disabilities. Serif’s formalization of these ideas is a great service to the fields concerned with learning disabilities and has prospects for reconceptualizing and refocusing research in the area. Chapter 5 is a competent review of the state of the art in applying traditional mental-health consultation techniques (the Caplanian model) in educational settings. Meyers reviews the his346
Reviews
347
torical development of the model briefly and presents its implementation in the schools. Research relevant to the effectiveness of mental-health consultation and its salient features in the schools is carefully reviewed. Gaps in the research literature are properly designated and needs in the area explained. Mental-health consultation is an important area of practice that needs to be expanded in the provision of school psychological services. However, it quickly becomes clear from reading Meyers’ review that the data base from which to develop and improve appropriate practice in consultation is largely insufficient and tha&a concerted effort in consultation research is needed if we expect research to guide improved practice. Meyers’ effort is followed by another solid contribution on program evaluation and school psychology. This is an area of expertise for school psychologists that the author of Chapter 6 (Maher) has been promoting for some time. His current effort is a good review and integration of the field, complete with a series of suggestions for school psychology trainers and practitioners on preparation and implementation in program evaluation. Chapters 7 and 8 (“Advances in Criterion-Referenced Assessment” and “Path-Referenced Assessment in School Psychology”) are complementary works that are clearly the class of the volume. Criterion-referenced assessment is developing at a fast pace. Cancelli and Kratochwill do a splendid job of bringing one up to date on new developments in this field and provide the necessary conceptualization to allow one to anticipate and keep abreast of further advancesas they arise. Their chapter provides an excellent lead-in to Bergan’s presentation of a new approach to assessment he terms path-referenced assessment. Path-referenced assessment derives from structural modeling of the relations between classes of behaviors. Bergan describes in detail the necessary assumptions, hypotheses, and technical aspects of this new model of assessment and clearly delineates its relevance and application to designing assessment based interventions for children experiencing academic problems. Bergan has made a superb presentation of a new approach that deserves close attention. Substantial developmental research is needed even to apply path-referenced assessment to education in a way that will lead to evaluation of its utility, yet Bergan’s presentation certainly opens the door to an area of work with the potential for providing true advances in instructing all children if the theoretical and practical problems of the technique can be overcome. In sharp contrast to the solid writing of the four immediately preceding chapters, the final two contributions are long on title and short on content. Chapter 9 is entitled “Naturalistic Observation in Design and EvaIuation of Special-Education Programs,” but delivers only the briefest treatise of issues in naturalistic observation (primarily focused on the institutionalized retarded). Simply put, Chapter 9 fails. The material is brought together in a disjointed fashion, as though hurriedly constructed of convenient material. There is little here for the intended audience. The final chapter has more in common with Chapter 9 than with the better efforts of the volume. Promising much with the title “Treatment of Hyperactive, Aggressive, and Antisocial Chitdren,” Chapter 10 is devoted primarily to a superficial review of broad categories of treatment methods and the raising of well-known issues of research and treatment coupled with anecdotal data based on the authors’ clinical experiences. Again it appears as a hurried presentation of convenience that is neither thorough nor adequately up to date, overlooking several major issues (e.g., the interaction of dosage levels with behavior and learning measures for hyperactive children). This chapter in particular does not appear to be representative of the senior author’s other work in this area. Edited books are difficult to do well, but are potentially of great value. The first volume of Advances in School Psychoiogy falls to the plight of many edited works. It contains a majority of well-accomplished works that can lead toward advances in research and in practice but also several hurried chapters that fail to inform and fall far short of their goals. The volume still has much to offer those who are involved in work of a psychological nature with children. Others also will find valuable chapters. Academic and practitioner school psychologists will find quite a bit of material that is relevant to their daily activities and feel rewarded by having read the better contributions of the volume. Volume 1 of this new series is well worth a trip to the library, for the good chapters it offers are indeed very good. If future volumes produce works as substantial as the five or so excellent chapters in this volume, the success and long-term contribution of the series to school psychology will be ensured. . Cecil R. Reynolds Associate Professor Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843
0022-4405/82/1600-0346$02.75 0 1982 The Journal of School Psychology, Inc.
REVIEWS OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGICAL MATERIALS JOHN R. BERGAN,
ASSOCIATE
EDITOR
Kratchowill, Thomas R. (Ed.). Advances in School psYchologv. Vol. 1. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence
Erlbaum
Associates,
1981. Pp. 344, $24.95 cloth,
illust.
This is the first volume in a series of annual publications “. . .designed to integrate original reviews of important developments each year relevant to the field of school psychology” (p. xv). Many disciplines contribute to the knowledge base and professional skills relevant to school psychology and the series has thus been broadly conceived. The topics covered will appeal to a variety of psychologists as well as those involved more directly in school psychology. Indeed, the first volume reflects just such a diversity of topics, ranging from a discussion of critical issues that will affect school psychology over the next decade to a new approach to assessment and intervention with children (termed path-referenced assessment) to a chapter by two MDs on the treatment of hyperactive, aggressive, and antisocial children. The series has been well conceived and is timely. An advisory board also has been established consisting of well recognized names in the profession. The eventual success of the series will depend on the timeliness and scope of the topics reviewed each year and the quality of the reviews provided, particularly with regard to the various authors’ success at providing integrative reviews that form a synthesis for future research and practice. The topics of the first volume are all timely and of concern to all who provide psychological services to children in educational settings. Though the volume has a decidedly behaviorai flavor, there is sufficient diversity among authors and topics not to eschew other legitimate approaches to school psychological services. To adequately balance such presentations is admirable. Evaluating the success of the volume in providing the type of newly integrative reviews that can lead to a foundation for future research and practice is a more difficult task. Some of the chapters are excellent, providing enthusiastic highs, while other chapters prove dismally low, failing to address their topic at other than a superficial level. The 10 chapters are led off by a brief prefatory chapter by the editor delineating the nature of the series and previewing the content of the volume. The second chapter, by Phillips, is an excellent presentation of critical issues in school psychology that are likely to shape its future over at least the next decade. Phillips has provided a fair, balanced view of a variety of controversial issues and introduces perspectives on new issues that are to confront the profession very soon. Far from being academic rhetoric, this chapter focuses on problems and issues that have direct relevance to practicing professionals in the schools and related agencies. The next chapter in the volume, “School Psychology: An Instrumental Service for the Handicapped,” is one of the disappointments of the work; it is somewhat dated, ponderous, and lacking in focus. This effort is followed by .another disappointing work, with the promising title, “Issues Surrounding the Diagnosis of Learning Disabilities: Child Handicap versus Faiiure of the Child-School Interaction.” The first two-thirds of this chapter have little to offer that is new or exciting; instead it rehashes tired problems. This is more than made up for by the last third, however, which lives up to the chapter title and formalizes an exciting child-school interaction model of learning disabilities. Serif’s formalization of these ideas is a great service to the fields concerned with learning disabilities and has prospects for reconceptualizing and refocusing research in the area. Chapter 5 is a competent review of the state of the art in applying traditional mental-health consultation techniques (the Caplanian model) in educational settings. Meyers reviews the his346
Reviews
347
torical development of the model briefly and presents its implementation in the schools. Research relevant to the effectiveness of mental-health consultation and its salient features in the schools is carefully reviewed. Gaps in the research literature are properly designated and needs in the area explained. Mental-health consultation is an important area of practice that needs to be expanded in the provision of school psychological services. However, it quickly becomes clear from reading Meyers’ review that the data base from which to develop and improve appropriate practice in consultation is largely insufficient and tha&a concerted effort in consultation research is needed if we expect research to guide improved practice. Meyers’ effort is followed by another solid contribution on program evaluation and school psychology. This is an area of expertise for school psychologists that the author of Chapter 6 (Maher) has been promoting for some time. His current effort is a good review and integration of the field, complete with a series of suggestions for school psychology trainers and practitioners on preparation and implementation in program evaluation. Chapters 7 and 8 (“Advances in Criterion-Referenced Assessment” and “Path-Referenced Assessment in School Psychology”) are complementary works that are clearly the class of the volume. Criterion-referenced assessment is developing at a fast pace. Cancelli and Kratochwill do a splendid job of bringing one up to date on new developments in this field and provide the necessary conceptualization to allow one to anticipate and keep abreast of further advancesas they arise. Their chapter provides an excellent lead-in to Bergan’s presentation of a new approach to assessment he terms path-referenced assessment. Path-referenced assessment derives from structural modeling of the relations between classes of behaviors. Bergan describes in detail the necessary assumptions, hypotheses, and technical aspects of this new model of assessment and clearly delineates its relevance and application to designing assessment based interventions for children experiencing academic problems. Bergan has made a superb presentation of a new approach that deserves close attention. Substantial developmental research is needed even to apply path-referenced assessment to education in a way that will lead to evaluation of its utility, yet Bergan’s presentation certainly opens the door to an area of work with the potential for providing true advances in instructing all children if the theoretical and practical problems of the technique can be overcome. In sharp contrast to the solid writing of the four immediately preceding chapters, the final two contributions are long on title and short on content. Chapter 9 is entitled “Naturalistic Observation in Design and EvaIuation of Special-Education Programs,” but delivers only the briefest treatise of issues in naturalistic observation (primarily focused on the institutionalized retarded). Simply put, Chapter 9 fails. The material is brought together in a disjointed fashion, as though hurriedly constructed of convenient material. There is little here for the intended audience. The final chapter has more in common with Chapter 9 than with the better efforts of the volume. Promising much with the title “Treatment of Hyperactive, Aggressive, and Antisocial Chitdren,” Chapter 10 is devoted primarily to a superficial review of broad categories of treatment methods and the raising of well-known issues of research and treatment coupled with anecdotal data based on the authors’ clinical experiences. Again it appears as a hurried presentation of convenience that is neither thorough nor adequately up to date, overlooking several major issues (e.g., the interaction of dosage levels with behavior and learning measures for hyperactive children). This chapter in particular does not appear to be representative of the senior author’s other work in this area. Edited books are difficult to do well, but are potentially of great value. The first volume of Advances in School Psychoiogy falls to the plight of many edited works. It contains a majority of well-accomplished works that can lead toward advances in research and in practice but also several hurried chapters that fail to inform and fall far short of their goals. The volume still has much to offer those who are involved in work of a psychological nature with children. Others also will find valuable chapters. Academic and practitioner school psychologists will find quite a bit of material that is relevant to their daily activities and feel rewarded by having read the better contributions of the volume. Volume 1 of this new series is well worth a trip to the library, for the good chapters it offers are indeed very good. If future volumes produce works as substantial as the five or so excellent chapters in this volume, the success and long-term contribution of the series to school psychology will be ensured. . Cecil R. Reynolds Associate Professor Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843