Evaluated the reliability and validity of the Child Behavior Scale (CBS), designed to assess behavioral indicators of risk and competence in young children. In the spring and fall, teachers used the CBS to rate their kindergarten children and sociometric measures were administered to children. Found that scores for six CBS subscales were…

This article presents the role of the Job Observation and Behavior Scale (JOBS) in promoting objective employee performance evaluations and summarizes the technical properties of the instrument. JOBS is designed to be sensitive to both the work performance and support needs of people who participate in supported employment. (Contains references.)…

Teacher ratings on reading recognition, reading comprehension, arithmetic, and written expression revealed that behaviorally disordered and learning-disabled adolescents (N=200) were seen as performing significantly below expected levels of achievement. Differences between behaviorally disordered and learning-disabled students appeared to depend…

Teacher ratings on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist were collected on 666 students with mental retardation attending special classes. Classroom placement and age had significant effects on subscale scores, whereas sex failed to affect ratings. The study concludes that the original scoring method, developed for individuals in residential facilities,…

Discussion of practicing academic skills focuses on a program at the Ben Bronz Academy (Connecticut) for learning-disabled students that uses Precision Teaching and fluency practice via computers. Highlights include fluency and academic performance; knowledge of progress, including charts of student progress; and suggestions for further research.…

A battery of three measures for assessing the community-based social behavior of adolescents and young adults with emotional and behavioral disorders is described. The measures, in male and female forms, are "Test of Community-Based Social Skill Knowledge,""Scale of Community-Based Social Skill Performance," and "Behaviors That Are Undesirable for…

Article describes behavior rating scales and the difficulties in the use of cutoff scores to identify students as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Also described are how problems with interobserver agreement hamper the validity of rating scales and the subsequent conclusions that can be drawn about students' behavior. (RJM)

Autism Behavior Checklists were completed for 52 autistic individuals (ages 2-31) and 62 nonautistic individuals, and data were analyzed using signal detection methodology. A single item (looks "through" people) combined with one of five other items discriminated as well as the sum scores, and further combinations did not improve…

Teacher ratings on the RISK scale for 2,306 kindergarten students were used to predict which children were ultimately placed in resource rooms or regular education. All five RISK factors were significantly related to future school performance. Most predictive items were child ability, current performance, and teacher investment. Overall RISK scale…

Compared the school performance of sexually abused children and neglected children with the performance of two matched groups of nonmaltreated children, those from lower middle class families and from families receiving public assistance. Analyses of children's behavior ratings and school achievement indicated marked cognitive and behavioral…

This study derived data from the Family Environment Scale, from home visits to 29 individuals with moderate mental retardation, and from other sources to determine that the Parenting Style Survey is a reliable and valid measure of parenting behaviors for individuals who have a child with mental retardation living at home. (Author/JDD)

Multimethod approach, consisting of teacher ratings, self-ratings, sociometric ratings, direct observations and semistructured interview, were used to assess social skills of fifth-grade students. European and Asian-American students differed significantly on sociometric ratings. Asian Americans enjoyed more outergroup social communications.…

Describes a tool that quantifies the number and kinds of interactions between students and teachers. Structured observation of classroom events indicates whether a teacher is interacting equitably with each student in the classroom. Science teachers were receptive to the relatively quantitative nature of the process. Both inservice and student…

A comparison between parent and teacher ratings of 109 school children on the French version of the Nisonger Child Behavior Rating Form, which measures social competence and problem behaviors of children with developmental disabilities, was conducted. Ratings differed significantly on three problem behavior subscales: conduct problem,…

A meta-analysis was performed on the 133 cognitive and behavioral papers in autism using comparison groups in the 1999-2002 period. High-functioning (average IQ: 84.7), adolescents (average, 14.4 years) are largely dominant. IQ is the most frequent matching variable in use (51.2%). The instruments that are most frequently used to determine IQ or…