ABSTRACT
Cognitive assessment has comprised a significant part of a school psychologist’s activities since the very inception of the profession. Much of the focus with respect to assessment has been on the diagnosis of disabilities (e.g., mental retardation, learning disability, and other exceptionalities) and school psychologists continue to spend a significant amount of time performing cognitive evaluations and writing reports (Ochoa, Riccio, Jimenez, Garcia de Alba, & Sines, 2004). Perhaps the most dramatic change in the assessment practices of school psychologists has to do with the nature of the population being served. Diversity within the school-aged population in the U.S. has expanded at a rapid rate within the past two decades and shows little sign of slowing down (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2001). The implications of this fact are reflected in an increased interest in issues related to the assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students (Rhodes, Ochoa & Ortiz, 2005). More than ever, the need to develop competency in the evaluation of children from diverse cultures is becoming an indispensable skill in the assessment repertoire of all school psychologists.
