The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (Dunn and Dunn) is described as a convenient, quick test, possessing improvements over the original. It measures a subject's receptive (hearing) vocabulary for Standard American English. However, the validity information for the test is less than adequate, since no validity studies are presented for it.…

Practical considerations associated with local norms development are discussed. A local norming project administering the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised to 398 elementary Mexican--American children is presented in detail. The utility of local norms and their interpretation is discussed in the context of this local project. (Author/BW)

Discrepancies between the K-ABC and its theoretical base of simultaneous and sequential mental processing; technical and design problems related to disproportionate subtest contributions of the Simultaneous Scale to the Mental Processing Composite; the method of subtest-specific variance computation and use in interpretation; and utility with…

Three levels from the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) standardization sample were randomly selected and their subtest score intercorrelations were subjected to factor analysis. The analyses yielded minor inconsistencies which suggest the instrument does not primarily measure simultaneous and sequential processing and achievement as…

This article presents the background, the history, and the implications of the Larry P. v Riles decisions in 1972 and in 1979 in which a federal district court enjoined California from using any standardized intelligence tests to assess Black children for eligibility for classes of educable mentally retarded. (Author/CTM)

When selecting standardized reading tests for purposes of decision making, the school psychologist must answer several questions, such as "What reading skills do I wish to assess?" or "How do I judge if the test is technically adequate?" Recommendations for test selection are made within the context of these questions.…

The analysis in this article is directed to the basic issues: Are IQ tests biased against Black children? And are IQ tests valid for the placement of Black children in special programs? The research evidence on these major issues is ambiguous and contradictory. (Author/CTM)

The Larry P. decision is criticized with reference to: (1) predictive tests and the standard curriculum; (2) the court's portrayal of special classes; (3) the effects of the 1972 decision on special class enrollment; (4) semantic confusion; and (5) the impact on Black children who experience academic difficulty. (Author/CTM)