Although school psychologists often comment on examinee motivation in their reports, systematic evaluation of effort is not common practice. Empirical assessment of performance effort provides critical evidence for the validity of evaluations and will likely lead to more valid assessments, recommendations, and placements. This article focuses on the systematic evaluation of effort and performance validity in school-age youth as a burgeoning practice that can lead to more valid assessments, recommendations, and placements for school-age youth.