The present study compared two procedures used in identifying students as “at risk” for learning problems. One procedure was a standardized norm referenced assessment represented by the Metropolitan Readiness Test and the Metropolitan Achievement Test. The other test procedure was a variation of the Curriculum-Based Assessment (CBA), which used frequency to measure samples of academic behavior. Tests were administered to 144 kindergarten and 142 first-grade children. Although the two procedures were comparable in identifying high-risk students, they differed substantially in time, effort, and cost. These differences might be important for school districts with limited personnel and funds.

The application of techniques for reducing verbal and physical aggression can be problematic when the procedures are applied to high functioning adults who have sustained a traumatic head injury. In this investigation, the effect of a ‘cool down’ training procedure on two adult males with brain injuries was examined using the same strategy, which was simultaneously applied to both behaviors for 1 subject and applied only to verbal aggression for a second subject. The cool down training procedure included 2 training sessions per week, plus implementation of a modified training program in the test situation. Results revealed that the cool down training program was effective in reducing both verbal and physical aggression and therefore provides an alternative treatment for adults with head injuries.

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August Dvorak is best known for his development of the Dvorak keyboard. However, Dvorak also adapted and applied many behavioral and scientific management techniques to the field of education. Taken collectively, these techniques are representative of many of the procedures currently used in applied behavior analysis, in general, and especially in precision teaching. The failure to consider Dvorak's instructional methods may explain some of the discrepant findings in studies which compare the efficiency of the Dvorak to the standard keyboard. This article presents a brief background on the development of the standard (QWERTY) and Dvorak keyboards, describes parallels between Dvorak's teaching procedures and those used in precision teaching, reviews some of the comparative research on the Dvorak keyboard, and suggests some implications for further research in applying the principles of behavior analysis.

Despite extensive research indicating that parent involvement is an important part in the intervention efforts with young, handicapped children, many parents elect not to participate in their child's educational program. Findings in this study indicate that only 35% of the parents with preschool handicapped children express interest in participating in their child's educational program. In an attempt to increase parent participation, a model for individualizing parent involvement is presented. Through an interview procedure, parents of preschool, handicapped children identify parent involvement activities in which they would like to participate. Most parents express interest in participating in a combination of activities, which serve as the basis for the model.