Identifying student strengths is central to transition planning. However, school personnel use few assessments that operationalize behavioral and emotional strengths, and the psychometric functioning of those measures have not been established with transition-age students. In this two-part study, we used a national sample of transition-age…

Social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) instruments are currently used in schools to screen, refer, and progress monitor students. Although many of these instruments have demonstrated strong technical adequacy, there has been far less examination of their consequential validity--that is, positive or negative intended and unintended consequences of…

This study presents an evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy and concurrent validity of Direct Behavior Rating Single Item Scales for use in school-based behavior screening of second-grade students. Results indicated that each behavior target was a moderately to highly accurate predictor of behavioral risk. Optimal universal screening cut scores…

The method of Direct Behavior Rating (DBR) incorporates aspects of both systematic direct observation and behavior rating scales to provide an efficient means to collect time series data. This study extended the development and evaluation of DBR Single-Item Scales (DBR-SIS) as a behavior assessment tool. Eighty-eight undergraduate students used…

Evaluated the construct validity of the parent version of the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (PIPPS) and compared this version with the teacher version. Findings support the use of the PIPPS parent version. Parent version replicated the three-factor solution found with the teacher version, supporting the following constructs of peer play: Play…

Measures of 4traits (cognitive competence, social competence, social maladaption, and personal maladaption) were obtained on 157 persons with mental retardation, using 3 measurements: standardized assessment instrument, day shift staff ratings, and evening shift staff ratings. The multitrait-multimethod matrix procedure demonstrated strong…

Reports the development of the Therapeutic Behavior Scale, a six-item scale used to assess verbal therapeutic behaviors. Presents data supporting its internal consistency, interrater reliability and construct validity. Suggests that the scale can be useful for training, therapist self-assessment and research about the therapeutic processes and…

This paper reports the results of the validity studies done on the Five P's (Parent/Professional Preschool Performance Profile), an assessment tool for parents and teachers developed by the Variety Preschooler's Workshop (Syosset, New York) to rate young handicapped children functioning between birth and 5 years of age on their observed…

In a single questionnaire, students reported their ideal frequency of occurrence (I-scores) for common teaching behaviors, the observed frequency of occurrence (0-scores), their evaluation of an "outstanding" to "poor" scale for each behavior expressed as a teaching attribute (E-score), and their overall evaluation of the…

Considers issue of equivalence across first three levels in Leary system. Results confirm that factors I and II roughly correspond to Leary's Dominance and Love factors, respectively. (Author)

This study assessed the criterion-related validity of the PDD Behavior Inventory, a rating scale to evaluate the adaptive and maladaptive behaviors of children with pervasive developmental disorders. Good correlations with five other scales confirmed the scale's validity and suggest its value in assessing treatment-related changes in maladaptive…

The psychometric properties of the Motivation Assessment Scale were examined using 90 ratings of different problem behaviors among 86 individuals with mental retardation. Although reliability and internal consistency were generally poor, the results depended upon topographies of problem behavior and methods of calculation. The construct validity…

A study involving 99 parents, researchers, residential workers, speech pathologists, and special education teachers revealed a high level of support for the Biala-II, a profile that uses the knowledge of informants who are able to provide specific information on the ways in which a person with mental retardation communicates. (Contains…

Examines relations between Matthews Youth Test for Health ratings on hyperactive boys and diverse measures obtained from five sources: direct behavior observations; staff evaluations, nonparticipant observer ratings, peer nominations, and self-reports. (HOD)