This study documents the interrater reliability and construct validity of rating scale observations by teachers of 69 students in special public school classrooms for children with serious behavioral/emotional problems (SED group). These certified teachers and their aides completed the Conners Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS) and the Clinical Global Impression Scale. Ratings were obtained simultaneously from certified teachers and aides for 76 children in learning disability classrooms (LD group). Interrater reliability indicated similar patterns of significant agreement for both groups of teachers and aides. Construct validity of SED teacher ratings also was supported; mean factor and global scores significantly distinguished the more severe disorders of the SED children compared to the LD children. The value of rating scale observations by SED teachers is discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. (1986). Manual for the Teacher's Report Form and Teacher Version of the Child Behavior Profile. Burlington: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.
2.
Achenbach, T. M., McConaughy, S. H., & Howell, C. T. (1987). Child/adolescent behavioral and emotional problems: Implications of cross-informant correlations for situational specificity. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 213-232.
3.
Atkins, M. S., Pelham, W. E., & Licht, M. H. (1989). The differential validity of teacher ratings of inattention/overactivity and aggression. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 17, 423-425.
4.
Bagnato, S. J., Mattison, R. E., & Mayes, S. D. (1986). Diagnostic assessment of affective and behavior disorders in children: A multisource approach. School Psychology International, 7, 40-54.
5.
Cohen, M., & Hynd, G. (1986). The Conners Teacher Rating Scale: A different factor structure with special education children. Psychology in the Schools, 23, 13-23.
6.
Conners, C. K. (1973). Rating scales for use in drug studies with children. Psychopharmacology Bulletin (Special issue: Pharmacotherapy with children, 24-84.
7.
Epstein, M. H., Cullinan, D., & Gadow, K. D. (1986). Teacher ratings of hyperactivity in learning disabled, emotionally disturbed, and mentally retarded children. Journal of Special Education, 20, 219-229.
8.
Epstein, M. H., & Nieminen, G. S. (1983). Reliability of the Conners Abbreviated Teacher Rating Scale across raters and across time: Use with learning disabled students. School Psychology Review, 12, 337-339.
9.
Gajar, A. (1979). Educable mentally retarded, learning disabled, and emotionally disturbed children: Similarities and differences. Exceptional Children, 45, 470-472.
10.
Glow, R. A. (1981). Cross-validity and normative data on the Conners' parent and teacher rating scales. In K. D. Gadow & J. Loney (Eds.), Psychosocial aspects of drug treatment for hyperactivity (pp. 107-150). Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
11.
Glow, R. A., Glow, P. H., & Rump, E. E. (1982). The stability of child behavior disorders: A one-year test-retest study of the Adelaide versions of the Conners teacher and parent rating scales. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 10, 33-60.
12.
Goh, D. A., & Fuller, G. B. (1983). Current practices in the assessment of personality and behavior by school psychologists. School Psychology Review, 12, 240-243.
13.
Goyette, C. H., Conners, C. K., & Ulrich, R. F. (1978). Normative data on revised Conners parent and teacher rating scales. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 6, 221-236.
14.
Gresham, F. M., Reschly, D. J., & Carey, M. P. (1987). Teachers as “tests”: Classification accuracy and concurrent validation in the identification of learning disabled children. School Psychology Review, 16, 543-553.
15.
Guy, W. (1976). EDCEU assessment manual for psychopharmacology (pp. 218-219). Rockville, MD: Department of Health, Educa tion, and Welfare.
16.
Harris, J. C., King, S. L., Reifler, J. P., & Rosenberg, L. A. (1984). Emotional and learning disorders in 6-1 2-year-old boys attending special schools. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 23, 431-437.
17.
Hollingshead, A. B. (1976). Occupational categories. In W. Guy (Ed.), EDCEU assessment manualfor psychopharmacology (pp. 516-520). Rockville, MD: Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
18.
Mattison, R. E., Humphrey, F. J., Kales, S. N., & Wallace, D. J. (1986). An objective evaluation of special class placement of elementary schoolboys with behavior problems. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 14, 251-262.
19.
McCarthy, J. M., & Paraskevopoulos, J. (1969). Behavior patterns of learning dis abled, emotionally disturbed, and average children. Exceptional Children, 36, 69-74.
20.
McConaughy, S. H. (1985). Using the Child Behavior Checklist and related instruments in school-based assessment of children. School Psychology Review, 14, 479-494.
21.
McConaughy, S. H., & Achenbach, T. M. (1989). Empirically based assessment of serious emotional disturbance. Journal of Psychology, 27, 91-117.
22.
McConaughy, S. H., & Mattison, R. E. (1988). Comparison of LD and SED boys with the Child Behavior Checklist and the Teacher's Report Form. Paper presented to the National Association of School Psychologists, Chicago.
23.
Shaffer, D., Gould, M. S., Brasic, J., Ambrosini, P., Bird, H. R., & Aluwahlia, S. (1983). A Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS). Archives of General Psychiatry, 40, 1228-1231.
24.
Taylor, E., & Sandberg, S. (1984). Hyperactive behavior in English schoolchildren: A questionnaire survey. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 12, 143-156.
25.
Tindal, G. (1985). Investigating the effectiveness of special education: An analysis of methodology. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 18, 101-112.
26.
Trites, R. L., Blouin, A. G. A., & Laprade, K. (1982). Factor analysis of the Conners teacher rating scale based on a large normative sample. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 50, 615-623.
27.
United States Bureau of the Census. (1982). The 1980 census of population. Washington: Government Printing Office.
28.
Werry,J. S., Sprague, R. L., & Cohen, M. N. (1975). Conners' teacher rating scale for use in drug studies with children: An empirical study. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 3, 217-229.
29.
Wynne, M. E., & Brown, R. T. (1984). Assessment of high incidence learning disorders: Isolating measures with high discriminant ability. School Psychology Review, 13, 231-237.
