BOOK REVIEWS 375

account of how a resource room plan for the education of EMR students was im- plemented in the Atlanta schools.

General Ethical Issues Meyers issues a caveat against the present rush to educational innovations

which, though initially regarded as panaceas, often fail to fulfill expectations and sink to the level of fads. Meyers provides a fine review of the research to date on various innovations, noting that most of the educational techniques thus far at- tempted have failed to produce consistent patterns of improvement. Because of this, he calls for a more conservative approach toward innovations until their value has been borne out in research. He also points up the need for more research into the effect of teachers’ cognitive styles upon children’s performance. (It is odd to note that, though RIeyers makes extensive reference to Stephens’ study of the research in 1967, this work was not included among those listed in the article’s bibliography. Such an oversight is unfortunate for those who wish to pursue the topic in more detail.)

I n his article on “The Ethical and Legal Implications of Behavior Modification in the Classroom,” Martin provides an insightful exploration of the responsibilities incumbent upon anyone applying operant learning techniques within the scholastic setting. His summary of ethical factors serves as an excellent standard against which to measure the ethical appropriateness of any given behavior modification program.

Gredler, in his concluding article, provides a thorough review of the literature on school readiness. He sees the entrance age L1controversyJ’ as being quite super- ficial, and makes the interesting point that while middle-class, suburban school systems have been promoting the idea of later admission to schools as a means of ensuring readiness, the inner city schools have been pursuing such projects as “Operation Headstart” in order to actively promote readiness.

I n summary, the present volume is a timely and pertinent addition to the literature. As is often the case, no reader will find all of the articles included to be of equal value. However, the subject of ethical responsibility is of such pressing importance that no school psychologist can afford to ignore the issues raised herein.

WILLIAM M. ROTH Delaware County Intermediate Unit Media, Pa.

GREDLER, G. R. (Ed.) Ethical aizd Legal Factors in the Practice of School Psycho- logy. Harrisburg : Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Document Book Store, 1975, 221 pp., $3.00. Despite the many innovations in their trade discussed a t annual conventions,

school psychologists continue to spend much of their time in the twin activities of testing and placement. School administrators have usually assented rather than objected to this use of their hours, but times, they are a-changing. Those fundamental touchstones of the school psychologist’s job are being questioned from every direction, as Gredler’s new and urgent book documents. Complacency about their “traditional roles” has now landed some school psychologists in court.

376 DoOK REVIEWS

Of professions, school psychology is rcrtainly onc of thc lrast ethically dcvcl- oped. It has ncver had its version of an Hippocratic Oath. Candidates of widely varying qualifications are permitted to join the ranks, and practiccs tabooed in one state arc cncouragcd in anothcr. I’rocedurcs of n o proven valur can be tricd, and ones leaving a child uncliarigcd or harmcd arc rarely detcctcd, thc perpetrator almost never sanctioncd. Childrcn nrc the most vulncrablc of client.;, and parcnts have been too an cd by schools to protcst. Undoul,tedly, large numbcrs of school children have bccn hurt b y inappropriate testing and pllnccment. It has now bccomc a matter for thc courts, and the litigants h a w bcen individual parents, parents’ associations, and civil rights organizations. This book is a call to our collcctive conscienccy, to go beyond avoidance of thc issues and subscriptions to nialpracticc insurance, to making schools good for children. At this writing, Gredlcr’s book is the only one on its topic.

The volume arose from tlic proceedings of the First Annual Corifcrcricc in School 1 % ~ chology a t Tcniple University in 1972. Leading figures in education, psychology, and law were invited to givc papers on their specialities. The overall quality of the eighteen papers is high. The presentations are clear, \\rell-rcsearched, and thought-provoking, and the topics arc crucial.

AIany of the selections deal vcry specifically \kith educational practices. Roy Martin discusses bchavior modification in classroorns, a technique which, he points out, is used widely but with few ethical or lcgal considerations. He presents somc sensible guidelines which should bc read b j all professionals using this approach. Robert Bruininks gives some current alternatives to the largely unsuccessful practice of segregated classes for mildly rctardcd children in a useful and practical paper. Also, in an cssay by Warren Findley, the problems with ability grouping are thoroughly reviewed. Gredler gives a very thorough presentation of the often contradictory research on assessing readiness of children for school, a problem with M hich all school psychologists must continually deal since schools often have varying and unjustified policies for determining who will be admitted. Also Joel Xleyers provides a sparkling chapter on the ethics of innovation. Why do almost all educational innovations have no dcmonstrablc effect? Why do schools institute them anyway, and how can we produce genuine change?

McDermott explains what is meant by privileged communication and when pupil personnel specialists might be legally entitled to it. In the new mood toward child advocacy, what is thc place of the school psychologist, Irwin Hyman asks? Teitclbaum dis- cusses the aftermath of the circulation of the Russell Sage guidelines about content and privacy of student records. She provides statistical data about what the nation’s schools allow to be placed in the permanent record file, and who has access to it. Isaacs discusses the rights of parents from the viewpoint of a parent, and Ladd considers the civil liberties of students.

Altman presents a very important chapter on special education, school psy- chologists, and the law, including some of the recent cases regarding due process and equal protection of the law in placement decisions. If you do not know about Hobson v. Hansen or Stewart v. Philips (and you should), then read this. Logan describes the now famous Right to Education decision in Pennsylvania, which

Several papers demarcate the rights of students and parents.

BOOK REVIEWS 377

guaranteed public education to all retarded children and made the term “ineducable” obsolete.

There is more: a paper by Milton Budoff on Learning Potential Assessment, a more culturally fair alternative to I& testing and one which is generating wide discussion. Also Jane Mercer has taken seriously the AARID’s inclusion of “adap- tive ability” in the assessment of intelligence and has standardized an Adaptive Behavior Inventory as a supplement t o the testing of minority group children.

Like any good book, this volume opens up an area and suggests countless further questions. Hopefully, it will begin a dialogue that will stretch across the profession.

JOSEPH hlORRIS California State University Northridge, C A .

BOOIC3 RECEIVED RECENTLY

A D A m , EDWARD L. Career Advancement Guide. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1975, 263 pp,, $19.95.

BERLIN, IRVING N. (Ed.) Advocacy for Child htental Health. New York: Brunner/ Mazel, 1975, 338 pp., $13.50.

BLuAr, LUCILLE HOLLANDER, DAVIDSON, HELEN H. and FIELDSTEEL, NINA D. A Rorschach Workbook. New York : International Universities Prcss, 1975,

BRISLIN, RICHARD W., BOCHNER, STEPHEN and LONNER, WALTER J. (Ed.) Cross- Cultural Perspectives O H Lear‘ning. New York: Halsted, 1975, 336 pp., $17.50.

ELLINGSON, CARETH. Speaking of Children Their Learning Abilities/Disabilities. New York: Harper and Row, 1975, 285 pp., $8.95.

FREEMAN, STEPHEN W. Does Your Child Have a Learning Disability? Springfield, Ill.: Charles C. Thomas, 1974, 111 pp., $8.50.

GARAN, D. G. The Key to the Sciences of Man. New York: Philosophical Library, 1975, 561 pp., $10.00.

GNAGEY, THOMAS D. How to Put U p Wi th Parents: A Guide for Teenagers. Ottawa, Ill. : Facilitation House, 197.5, 126 pp., $5.65.

K A I ~ T , ANDRE. Adolescent Suicide. New York: International Universities Press, 1975. 310 pp., $15.00.

KELLAM, SHEPPARD G., BRANCH, JEANNETTE D., AGRAWAL, KHAZAN C. and ENSMINGER, MARGARET E. Mental Health and Going to School. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1975, 213 pp., $11.00.

I’ACKARD, ROBERT G. Psychology of Learning and Instruction. Columbus, Ohio : Charles E. Merrill, 1975, 480 pp., $9.93.

RENSHAW, DOAIEENA C. The Hyperactive Child. Chicago : Nelson-Hall, 1974, 197 pp., $8.95.

RHODES, WILLIAM C. and HEAD, SABIN. A Study of Child Variance, Vol. 3: Service Delivery Systems. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 1974, 667 pp., price unavailable.

193 pp., $10.00.