ABSTRACT
The current study represents the first psychometric evaluation of an expanded version of the Integrated System Teacher Rating Form, which is a German language school-based universal screening measure initially developed to identify students with academic productivity problems and oppositional behavior. The measure was expanded to include assessment of internalizing problems experienced by children and youth. This initial study examines the factor structure of the expanded measure in a large sample of 2,416 German schoolchildren attending grades 1–6 in Western Germany. A total of four factors (Anxious/Depressed, Oppositional/Disruptive, Academic Productivity Problems/Disorganization, and Socially Withdrawn) were extracted via exploratory factor analysis. Collectively, the four factors accounted for over 52% of the variance in teacher ratings. Each factor demonstrated excellent internal consistency indicated by alpha and/or omega coefficients above .90. Results of the current study support continued investigation of the expanded ITRF-G for use in universal screening in German-speaking schools.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Robert J. Volpe
Robert J. Volpe, Ph.D. is Professor and Chair of Applied Psychology at Northeastern University and Co-Director of the Center for Research in School-based Prevention.
Tat Shing Yeung
Tat Shing Yeung, M.S. is a student in the Doctoral Program in School Psychology at Northeastern University.
Gino Casale
Gino Casale, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Special Education at the University of Cologne and at the Institute for Educational Research at the University of Wuppertal (Germany).
Johanna Krull
Johanna Krull, Ph.D. is Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Special Education at the University of Cologne (Germany).
Amy M. Briesch
Amy M. Briesch, Ph.D. is Associate Professor and Director of the School Psychology Program at Northeastern University.
Thomas Henneman
Thomas Hennemann, Ph.D. is Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Cologne.