Dr. Steven Pfeiffer is the co-author of MHS’ Gifted Rating Scales™ Second Edition (GRS™ 2), and author of his latest book, Parenting from the Heart, Raising Resilient and Successful Smart Kids. We sat down with Dr. Pfeiffer to discuss his early work in psychology and his entry into the gifted field—along...
MHS is proud and excited to announce the upcoming release of the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scales 2nd Edition (CAARS™ 2), a measure that provides improved accuracy, greater insight, and enhanced utility for assessing and managing Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults. The Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS™; Conners, Erhardt,...
Fairness is at the core of the Ortiz Picture Vocabulary Acquisition Test™ (Ortiz PVAT™; Ortiz, 2018). Fairness, in the context of assessments, refers to a test’s capacity to provide reliable and valid scores for all relevant test-takers across all relevant subgroups. At MHS, we’re proud of our commitment to a...
Tests are gateways to opportunity. An opportunity to get mental health treatment and receive learning supports, to be selected for special academic programming. To get hired, coached, or promoted, and to guide decisions regarding risk, levels of supervision, and treatment in criminal justice settings. They are a gateway to life-changing...
What is the Pediatric Performance Validity Test Suite (PdPVTS)? When a youth undergoes any kind of assessment of their cognitive skills or abilities (e.g., tests of intelligence, tests of achievement, or neuropsychological assessment), they are asked to demonstrate the upper limit of their performance. Such tests are commonly known as maximum...
The formal identification of high ability students with limited English language proficiency has been an ongoing challenge with respect to the goals of equity. The Naglieri General Ability Tests (Naglieri, Brulles, & Landsdowne, 2021) have been developed to combat these challenges in testing and provide a more equitable solution. The...
National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is observed each July, bringing awareness to the unique struggles that racial and ethnic minority communities face regarding mental illness in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected many people's mental health and created new barriers for people who experience mental illness and...
For many years, people who use tests in the talent development industry have been asking “Is this a reliable test?” and “Is this a valid test?” when deciding which tests are best to use. Recently, this discussion has expanded to include the important question of “Is this a fair test?”....
The interview below has been edited for length and clarity. First, I’d like to get a little bit of background on the current landscape of gifted service models. Which delivery models are most prevalent among gifted programs in the United States today? DINA: The four most popular models are: cluster grouping, enrichment...
Achieving equitable representation in gifted programming of students from diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, linguistic, or socioeconomic backgrounds, or from those who have had limited or different educational experiences, is an ongoing multidimensional issue. There are several factors that must be taken into consideration when developing practices that align with equitable...
