Research Findings: This study explored the quality of teacher-child interactions within the context of a newly developed standardized task, Teacher-Child Structured Play Task (TC-SPT). A sample of 146 teachers and 345 children participated. Children who displayed the highest disruptive behaviors within each classroom were selected to participate.…

This report documents the reliability and validity of scores on the Preschool-Wide Evaluation Tool (PreSET), an assessment used to measure program-wide implementation of the universal level of positive behavior interventions and support (PBIS) in early childhood settings. Initial analyses of descriptive statistics, item, subscale, and total…

An observation instrument designed to be applicable across teaching situations (both grade levels and educational strategies) is presented with evidence regarding its efficiency and generalizability. The dependability of scores yielded is assessed by a generalizability study, and recommendations concerning number and item types in the measure are…

The Evaluations of Classroom Observations Project had three major purposes, all related to direct observation of classroom behavior. First, the project was meant to assess the effectiveness of a behavioral treatment program in furthering the acquisition of appropriate classroom participation skills by disruptive students. Second, the project was…

The focus here is on category observation instruments which typically record classroom behaviors in the form of tallies, checks, or other marks which code them into predefined categories and yield information about which behaviors occurred and how often they occurred during the period of observation. Discusses the essential properties of the…

This study examined the objectivity, trainability, and reliability of the SRI observational system (developed at the Stanford Research Institute) as it was modified for use in the "A Study of Schooling" research project. Four instruments in the observation system were tested. The physical environment inventory recorded the architectural…

This report describes Head Start classroom activity, contains data on the children from a testing program, and includes teacher ratings of pupils on a Classroom Adjustment Checklist. (Individual data is being preserved for follow-up studies.) Classroom observations were made in 13 of 27 Head Start classrooms, while testing activities and teacher…

A qualitative observational study of standardized group testing in 10 kindergartens revealed variations in testing conditions, discrepancies from standardized administration procedures, and variations in children's behavior that contributed to difficulties in maintaining a uniform testing process. High-stakes group testing in kindergarten should…

The study evaluated the reliability and validity of SCAN, a measurement technique for assessing class involvement in the learning process (classroom climate for learning). Concurrent validity was investigated by comparing SCAN ratings to a point-sampling of on-task performance behaviors. The Engaged Time Observation Instrument (ETOI) was used to…

The Social Interaction and Creativity in Communication System (SICCS) was constructed for purposes of (1) initiating more objective inquiry into talent identification programs; (2) fostering the observational skill and insight of practitioners wanting to facilitate the communication of creativity in others; (3) assessing the processes and…

Classroom behavior was observed over a six-month period in 68 junior high school classes to determine (a) the temporal stability of the behavioral indexes and (b) reliable trends over the school year. A certain deterioration occurs in late spring and observations obtained in midyear are less likely to be distorted. (Author/GK)

A two page checklist was developed to assist educators in predicting the success or failure of children in open classrooms. The checklist was based on the results of a survey of ninety-one open classroom teachers who were asked to list the characteristics of successful and unsuccessful children in open classrooms. Content validity was established…

Results of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) Student Observation Scale (SOS), a measure of classroom behavior, were correlated with results of the BASC Teacher Rating Scale (TRS). Two classroom observations were made of each of 30 students (21 males and 9 females) aged 5 to 11 years. Teachers of those students completed the TRS.…

The feasiblity of an observational rating scale which would provide objective, reliable and quantifiable measures of social and affective behavior was investigated. The Observation of Socialization Behavior (OSB), focusing on peer-group behavior of pre-school children and designed for use in unstructured situations was developed. Two forms of the…

Researchers have used children's self-reports to investigate the conditions under which children seek and give help. Little attention has been given to examining the predictive value of such measures, even though investigators in other domains have found discrepancies between self-reports and observed behavior. Two studies were conducted in which…