ABSTRACT
Great attention is being given to the increasing number of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students in school districts across the United States (U.S.). Most current estimates show that as of the 2012–13 academic year, it was estimated that 9.2% of students, or 4.4 million children, in U.S. public schools came from homes where English was a secondary or tertiary language. In 2015, 50.1 million students entered public schools between the prekindergarten and twelfth grade levels. Of those, 49%, or 25.4 million, identified as racial or ethnic minority group members (National Center for Education Statistics, 2015a). Because of changing population demographics, mental health training programs and professional organizations (e.g., National Association of School Psychologists [NASP], American Psychological Association [APA]) are increasing efforts to (a) produce culturally competent professionals and (b) improve psychological assessment practices to enhance cultural relevance. Specifically, the instruments utilized to evaluate and treat social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) concerns of diverse children and youth are gaining needed attention.
