This meta-analysis examined the peer rating sociometric research on students with learning disabilities. Seventeen studies yielded 37 effect sizes calculated in three ways: Glass's (1977) effect size (g) standardized by using the standard deviation of the control group, Hunter and Schmidt's (1990) effect size ((f) standardized by using the pooled within-groups standard deviation, and Hedges and Olkin's (1985) unbiased effect size {d). The mean g was -.69; the mean d was -.66, and the mean d was -.64, all of which indicate that pupils with learning disabilities have lower sociometric status when compared with their nonhandicapped counterparts. The moderator variables of ratee gender, grade level, research design, and sociometric scale type did not have an influence on effect size. The variable of rater gender, however, did moderate effect size. Future within-group sociometric research identifying behavioral profiles of students with learning disabilities classified into different status groups is recommended.Research on children's social difficulties has been extensive both for nonhandicapped students as well as for pupils with learning disabilities. The purpose of this study is (a) to provide an overview of this research, (b) to conduct a critical analysis of Swanson and Malone's (1992) meta-analytic study investigating the social acceptance of pupils with learning disabilities (LD), and (c) to conduct a meta-analysis of peer rating sociometric research on students with LD addressing the concerns pertaining to the Swanson and Malone (1992) study and using unbiased effect size alternatives frequently reported in meta-analytic research. Nonhandicapped Children's Social Difficulties ResearchPeer relationships are considered to be critical for healthy development (Apolloni & Cooke, 1975;Johnson, 1980). The importance of examining peer relations stems from a recognition of the relationship between poor social adjustment and a wide range of future maladjustment difficulties ((p. 357). Newcomb, Bukowski, and Patte's (1993) meta-analysis on the behavioral characteristics of nondisabled children across different sociometric status groups found that there was "consensus with respect to the relation between sociometric status and some domains of behavior" (p. 125). Children with Learning Disabilities/Social Difficulties Research"The wedding of social factors and learning disabilities," as coined by Bryan and Bryan (1990), is "now part and parcel of scholarly life in the field of learning disabilities" (p. 131). Several excellent reviews have been done on many social aspects of LD (e.g., Bruck, 1986; Kasik, Sabatino, & Spoentgen, 1987; Pearl, 1987; Perlmutter, 1986). This article focuses specifically on peer rating sociometric research. Approximately 20 years of peer rating sociometric research on children with LD has consistently shown that these students have lower peer status when compared with their nondisabled peers. Further evidence of the social difficulties of children with LD is substantiated by research with teache...

This study examined critical components of the assessment procedures school psychologists use when conducting evaluations for emotional disturbance with students who are English language learners (ELLs). A random sample of 1,500 members of NASP from 12 states with high limited English proficient populations was surveyed. A total of 439 respondents (29.27%) returned the survey. Only 223 of the respondents indicated that they had assessed ELLs. The results indicate that school psychologists are assessing ELLs from many different language groups, Spanish being the most common language group assessed. A significant number of school psychologists used interpreters when assessing ELLs. The following assessment methods were employed by over 90% of the respondents: behavioral observation, child interview, teacher interview, and parent interview. These four methods were judged to be very helpful. The most frequently used measures included Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test (75.8%), Draw-A-Person (71.7%), House-Tree-Person (58.4%), Kinetic Family Drawing (55.3%), and Generic Sentence Completion Forms (52.5%). The Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans (ARSMA), all BASC measures (PRS in English and Spanish, TRS, SRP, SDH, and SOS), Million, and Haak Sentence Completion obtained the highest mean ratings for level of helpfulness. Implications of results with respect to professional standards and recommended practices are discussed.

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A multistate survey of 859 school psychologists who indicated prior experience conducting bilingual psycho-educational assessment found that over half had used interpreters. Seventy-seven percent of the school psychologists who reported using interpreters had received no or very little training to do so. Only 37% of the school psychologists reported that their interpreter had received formal training. In only 7% of the cases reported were both school psychologists and interpreters trained in the interpretation process.