Behavior rating scales represent one of the most commonly used types of assessments in school psychology. Yet, they suffer from a fundamental limitation: They are an indirect methodology influenced partially by student behavior and partially by rater perspectives. Thus, the current study utilized advanced analytic approaches to evaluate rater…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the differential functionality of 2 general self-report items compared with 18 specific self-report items for classifying U.S. students' bullying involvement. First, by use of four samples from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children survey (HBSC; 1997-1998, N = 15,686; 2001-2002, N = 14,817;…

The current study examined the utility and incremental validity of parent ratings on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and Disruptive Behavior Disorders rating scale completed at kindergarten registration in identifying risk status as defined by important criterion variables (teacher ratings, daily behavioral performance, and quarterly…

Given the importance of accurately gauging early childhood approaches to learning, this study reports evidence for the dimensionality and utility of the Preschool Learning Behaviors Scale for use with disadvantaged preschool children. Data from a large (N = 1,666) sample representative of urban Head Start classrooms revealed three reliable…

This study reports new evidence for the dimensionality and validity of the Learning Behaviors Scale in samples of Head Start children. A sample of 900 former Head Start children enrolled in public kindergarten and first-grade classrooms was studied using modern techniques to analyze item responses represented as ordered categories. Findings from…

Universal screening has been routinely advised for determining the presence of problems for initiating problem-solving processes and models. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of two screener development methods on the validity of score inferences for two teacher screeners of child behavioral and emotional risk. The reliability and…

Some researchers have argued that discrepant broad index scores invalidate IQs, but others have questioned the fundamental logic of that argument. To resolve this debate, the present study used a nationally representative sample of children (N = 1,200) who were matched individually for IQ. Children with significantly uneven broad index score…

Schools are increasingly using curriculum-based measurement reading procedures to conduct universal screenings as a means of identifying students whose level and rate of growth are discrepant from peers. Despite abundant evidence supporting the reliability and validity of curriculum-based measurement-reading procedures, researchers have not fully…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (PIPPS), a teacher-rating instrument of interactive play behaviors for early childhood, was valid for urban, low-income children in kindergarten. The PIPPS demonstrated construct validity, and yielded three dimensions of interactive peer play: Play Interaction,…

Five hundred thirty-eight elementary school students participated in a study designed to examine the technical characteristics of curriculum-based measures (CBMs) for the assessment of writing. In addition, the study investigated rating-based measures of writing using the Six Trait model, an assessment instrument and writing program in use in many…

The validity of three subtests of the Dynamic Indicators for Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) was investigated for kindergarten children in a large urban school district. A stratified, random sample of 330 participants was drawn from an entire cohort of kindergarten children. Letter Naming Fluency, Phoneme Segmentation Fluency, and Nonsense…

Learning of subject matter and acquisition of academically relevant skills are important goals in enhancing academic achievement in the classroom. The results of 22 experiments reviewed in this article support the validity of the academic performance targets but not classroom behavior targets. Some limitations on these conclusions are discussed.…

Specific aptitude clusters from the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery (WJPEB) are examined to determine their effectiveness in evaluating aptitude-achievement discrepancies. Advantages of the Scholastic Aptitude clusters over the Broad Cognitive Ability clusters are outlined. Major types of discrepancies, rationale, and research on the…

The relative accuracy of teacher judgments of academic performance in classifying students as learning disabled (LD) or nonhandicapped (NH) was contrasted to standardized tests of intelligence and academic achievement. Results indicated that teacher judgments were as accurate in separating LD and NH groups as standardized tests of intelligence and…

This article describes the development of the Child Rating Scale (CRS), a socioemotional self-rating scale for elementary school children. Four CRS factors (rule compliance/acting-out, anxiety/withdrawal, interpersonal social skills, and self-confidence) were found consistently across four independent samples totalling more than 2,000 elementary…