Written-expression curriculum-based measurement (WE-CBM) is used for screening and progress monitoring students with or at risk of learning disabilities (LD) for academic supports; however, WE-CBM has limitations in technical adequacy, construct representation, and scoring feasibility as grade-level increases. The purpose of this study was to examine the structural and external validity of automated text evaluation with Coh-Metrix versus traditional WE-CBM scoring for narrative writing samples (7-min duration) collected in fall and winter from 144 second- through fifth-grade students. Seven algorithms were applied to train models of Coh-Metrix and traditional WE-CBM scores to predict holistic quality of the writing samples as evidence of structural validity; then, external validity was evaluated via correlations with rated quality on other writing samples. Key findings were that (a) structural validity coefficients were higher for Coh-Metrix compared with traditional WE-CBM but similar in the external validity analyses, (b) external validity coefficients were higher than reported in prior WE-CBM studies with holistic or analytic ratings as a criterion measure, and (c) there were few differences in performance across the predictive algorithms. Overall, the results highlight the potential use of automated text evaluation for WE-CBM scoring. Implications for screening and progress monitoring are discussed.

Many students struggle with the basic skill of writing, yet schools lack technically adequate screening measures to identify students at risk in this area. Measures that allow for valid screening decisions that identify students in need of interventions to improve performance are greatly needed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and diagnostic accuracy of early writing screeners. Two early writing screening measures, Picture Word and Word Dictation, were administered to a diverse sample of 95 kindergarten students, almost half of whom were classified as English language learners and almost 70% identified ethnically as Hispanic. It was hypothesized that the early writing screening measures would demonstrate moderate to strong relationships with a standardized norm-referenced measure of written expression and adequate diagnostic accuracy for identifying kindergarten students at risk. Findings indicate that concurrent validity coefficients for both Picture Word and Word Dictation tasks ranged from .32 to .70 with the Written Expression cluster of the Woodcock–Johnson Tests of Achievement–IV and .26 to .61 with the Writing Samples and Sentence Writing Fluency subtests. Diagnostic accuracy results suggest these measures are a promising option for screening early writing skills. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed.

As the second leading cause of death for adolescents, suicide is a major concern for school personnel. School psychologists' training in mental health makes them wellpositioned to lead in suicide prevention efforts; however, studies have shown a lack of preparedness in crisis intervention and, more specifically, suicide risk assessment.This study surveyed practicing school psychologists (N = 92) to explore their perception of both their role and competency in suicide risk assessment. Suicide risk assessment was defined as a broad term pertaining to any measures taken in suicide prevention, intervention, or postvention. The majority of school psychologists reported having a primary role at the tertiary level (i.e., intervening with a student identified as needing help).Participants indicated lacking adequate graduate preparation; however, most participants were confident in their knowledge of suicide and suicide risk assessment and were comfortable identifying and intervening with a student who is suicidal. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed.

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Objective As prostate-specific antigen (psa) makes prostate cancer (pca) screening more accessible, more men are being identified with conditions that indicate high risk for developing pca, such as elevated psa and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (hgpin). In the present study, we assessed psychological well-being and risk perception in individuals with those high-risk conditions.Methods A questionnaire consisting of a psychological symptom survey, a trait risk-aversion survey, and a cancerspecific risk perception survey was administered to 168 patients with early-stage localized pca and 69 patients at high risk for pca (n = 16 hgpin, n = 53 psa > 4 ng/mL). Analysis of variance was used to examine differences in psychological well-being and appraisal of risk between the groups. ResultsCompared with the pca group, the high-risk group perceived their risk of dying from something other than pca to be significantly lower (p = 0.007). However, pca patients reported significantly more clinically important psychological symptoms. ConclusionsThe identification of prostate conditions that predict progression to cancer might not result in the psychological symptoms commonly experienced by pca patients, but does appear to be related to a distorted perception of the disease's mortal risk. Patients with pca experience reduced psychological well-being, but better understand the risks of pca recurrence and death. Education on the risks and outcomes of pca can help at-risk men to view health assessments with reduced worry.

Universal screening is the first mechanism by which students are identified as at risk of failure in the context of multitiered systems of supports. This study examined the validity and diagnostic accuracy of a reading computer-adaptive test as a screener to identify state achievement test performance for third through fifth graders ( N = 1,696). Single time points and slopes within year and longitudinally were examined. Validity results for single points were moderate (.60–.79, p < .002). Validity for slopes and the state test were weak or not significant. Diagnostic accuracy cut scores that maximized sensitivity and specificity yielded high accuracy for single points whereas sensitivity was inadequate for slopes. Practical implications and future directions are presented.

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