Behavior Rating Scales: Issues of Use and Development

Abstract

Rating-scale technology is advancing as evidenced by the publication of a second generation of behavior rating scales and checklists. These instruments are assumed to represent a rater's (teachers, parents, student) summations of recent direct observations and experiences with target children. Such information can be highly relevant for the decisions school psychologists are asked to make about children and educational services. Therefore, this article reviews many uses of rating scales, provides guidelines for selecting and using rating scales, examines the Achenbach scales in some detail as a way to illustrate points about usage and development, and concludes with a discussion about advancements in the development and use of rating scales.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Stephen N. Elliot

Stephen N. Elliott, PhD, is Professor and Director of the School Psychology Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Elliott is also a Research Associate in the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research. His research interests focus on the assessment and treatment of children's social behavior problems.

R. T. Busse

R. T. Busse, MA, is a doctoral student in the School Psychology Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Senior Project Associate on a consultation training project. His research interests include the effectiveness of consultation and the assessment of consultee/client readiness for change.

Frank M. Gresham

Frank M. Gresham, PhD, is a Professor of Education at the University of California-Riverside. Dr. Gresham has written extensively about a wide range of assessment and treatment issues relevant to the practice of school psychology.