Classroom management practices are critical to the success of teachers and students, and a growing number of programs have been developed to improve these practices. However, there has been less investigation into observational tools to assess classroom management and exploration of whether it can be measured consistently by observers across…

Classroom management practices are critical to the success of teachers and students, and a growing number of programs have been developed to improve these practices. However, there has been less investigation into observational tools to assess classroom management and explore whether it can be measured consistently by observers across elementary,…

Problem-­solving assessment is an essential component of multi-­tiered systems of support such as response to intervention (RTI) and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). This authoritative work provides a complete guide to implementing a wide range of problem­-solving assessment methods, including: (1) functional behavioral…

The present study used generalizability theory to investigate the dependability of systematic observations of students' problem behavior and on-task behavior in classrooms. The Direct Observation Form (McConaughy & Achenbach, 2009) was used with a sample of 24, 6- to-11-year-old children attending 18 different elementary schools. The participants…

Direct observation is consistent with the multidimensional approach specified in the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Furthermore, it is directly related to psychoeducational planning, consultation, and intervention, and it is a credible information source. (Author/CP)

Developed to provide an alternative system for identifying emotional disturbance in students, the manual begins by briefly reviewing problems in current identification approaches. An emotionally disturbed person is defined in the paper as someone who exhibits either too much or too little of a socially significant behavior. An approach is then…

The evaluation of a behavioral screening procedure for the detection of both conduct disordered and withdrawn children was implemented in two phases among children enrolled in a rural Head Start program. The first phase focused on preliminary identification, through teacher rankings and classroom observation, of a population of the most withdrawn…

Established local norms for the frequency of disruptive and unproductive classroom behaviors using a sample of 81 referred and 81 nonreferred elementary school students in grades kindergarten through five. For assessment purposes, frequency of behaviors (off task, talked out, out of seat, other behavior) was categorized by grade level. (Author/ABL)

This study compared three methods for assessing relational aggression (RA) and physical aggression (PA) in preschool children: a teacher rating scale; a peer nomination measure; and a direct observation measure. Results showed intermethod agreement between peer and teacher ratings of RA for girls and PA for boys. All three methods indicated boys…

An approach for systematically observing and recording behavioral difference in the classroom is described, and its use with 11 behavior problem elementary students is discussed. The author points out the importance of peer sampling and the use of multiple observations to avoid erroneous conclusions. A case study of a second grade child…

This article offers a framework for assessing problem behaviors in classroom settings. It explains three prerequisite steps (identification, prioritization, and delineation of operational definitions) and three methods for formulating hypotheses (structured interviews, systematic observations, and experimental functional analyses). (DB)

In studies of classroom behavior modification, the experimenter or educator attempts to make valid judgments about desirable behavioral outcomes. Instruments of assessment to be used with behavior modification treatments must be sensitive to the behavioral goals of principals, teachers, and public school officials. Moreover the treatments used in…