The Validity of the Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students for the Identification of Gifted Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students (SRBCSS) for the identification of gifted students. Subjects were 130 third-and fourth-grade students who had been identified as candidates for inclusion in a gifted and talented program. Group ability and achievement tests were administered as part of the regular testing program of the school system, and classroom teachers completed the SRBCSS for each student. The SRBCSS scales were correlated to a low degree with the traditional cognitive tests but highly interrelated among themselves. Subsequent factor analysis yielded two factors, with the SRBCSS loading on a single Teacher Judgment Factor and the other measures loading on a Scholastic Aptitude Factor. Interpretation of the results suggest that the validity of the SRBCSS subscales for measuring separate sets of characteristics is questionable. However, the scales appear to make teacher ratings more objective.

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