The Use of Teacher Ratings in a Mental Health Study: A Method for Measuring the Effectiveness of a Therapeutic Nursery Program

Eisenberg, Leon; Landowne, Eleanor J.; Wilner, Daniel M.; Imber, Stanley D.

doi:10.2105/ajph.52.1.18

Cited by 16 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…B ehavior ratings by teachers have become a widely accepted method of measuring results in research with children (Arnold et al 1977, Behar & Stringfield 1974, Blunder, et al 1974, Conners 1969, Davids 1971, Eisenberg et al 1962, Emmerich 1966, Kohn & Rosman 1972, Miller 1972, Quay & Peterson 1967, Quay 1977, Rie & Friedman 1978, Ross et al 1965, Rutter 1965. They constitute a convenient way of quantifying and hopefully objectifying teacher observations.…”

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confidence: 99%

First Grade Norms, Factor Analysis and Cross Correlation for Conners, Davids, and Quay-Peterson Behavior Rating Scales

1981

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Three behavior rating scales were filled out by teachers for the entire first grades of three public schools, totalling 225 children. Factor analyses on this nonclinical sample yielded different factors from those found previously on clinical samples. The Conners scale showed four factors: hyperkinetic, shy-inept, rebellious-unsocialized, and antisocial-immature. The Quay-Peterson checklist also showed four factors: hyperkinetic, shy-inept, depressed, and dyssocial. The "inattentive" items, which formed a separate factor on older clinical samples, blended into the hyperkinetic factor on this younger normal sample. The whole Davids scale was one clean factor with all loadings above .6 and "impulsiveness" the highest loading. The hyperkinetic factors of both scales correlated highly with each other and with the Davids whole scale. The two shy-inept factors correlated at .82 with each other. Factor analysis of all the items from the 3 scales as if they were one large scale yielded seven factors: hyperkinetic-inattentive, shy, rebellious-unsocialized, antisocial, oversensitive, depressed, and dyssocial. Nonclinical first-grade norms by sex and parent occupational status were derived for all three scales and eight factor sub-scales. These consistently showed advantage for girls and for children of higher occupation parents. Many of these trends were significant at .05. Inspection of the Davids ratings raises questions about the meaning of "average" and suggests that teachers very early dichotomize students into good and poor. B ehavior ratings by teachers have become a widely accepted method of measuring results in research with children (Arnold et altute a convenient way of quantifying and hopefully objectifying teacher observations.Unfortunately, most such scales are not normed on nonclinical random samples or cross correlated with other accepted behavior rating scales. Though several factor analyses have been published, most of these are on clinical samples. The available data tend to pool a spectrum of ages even though significant age differences have been demonstrated (Arnold & Smeltzer 1974). Two of the three scales reported here (Conners 1969, Davids 1971) do not have data published with particular attention to the first grade, an important age for screening, diagnosis, and study. METHODAs part of a first grade intervention study reported elsewhere (Arnold et al 1977), the Conners Teacher Behavior Rating Scale (1969), the Quay-Peterson Problem Behavior Checklist (1967), and the Davids Hyperkinetic Rating Scale (1971) were filled out in October by the teachers of all first graders in three public schqpls.The schools were selected for convenience of the intervention project, not because of any noteworthy deviance or "normality" of the students. One of the schools, with 124 first grade students and five first grade teachers, was located in a middle-class suburban area. The other two schools, with a total of 101 first-grade students and five teachers, were inner city, with mixed racial composition. Thus, a total of...

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confidence: 99%

First Grade Norms, Factor Analysis and Cross Correlation for Conners, Davids, and Quay-Peterson Behavior Rating Scales

1981

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“…Nonetheless the advantages of this method are impressive: The teacher provides a generally knowledgeable rating, and existing reliability studies indicate this to be a fairly precise behavioral measure (Eisenberg et al, 1962). Since it was the behavior of the child in the classroom that usually led to the referral, altering this behavior should be the therapy goal.…”

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confidence: 99%

Factors affecting outcome in a school mental health service

Safer

1974

Community Ment Health J

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“…Teacher observations of the behavior of children in the classroom were recorded on a questionnaire modified from that of Eis¬ enberg et al 2 The questionnaire uses a four-point scale for each characteristic. We attempted to increase comparability of teachers' ratings by defining the lowest and highest levels as the respective lowest and highest 10% of children the same age known to the teacher.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationships Between Neurological Findings and Classroom Behavior

Stine

Saratsiotis²,

Mosser³

1975

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med

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\s=b\Five hundred seventy-five children from low-income urban neighborhoods who were between 10 and 12 years of age were examined by pediatricians for certain neurological signs. Classroom teachers ranked each child according to types of behavior. Data on neurological signs found in more than 15 children and on types of classroom behavior clinically expected to be related to central nervous system defects were studied statistically.Significant positive associations were found between nystagmus and hyperactivity, mixed dominance and hyperactivity, and mixed dominance and variable day-to-day performance. Errors in moving parts of the body on verbal command were associated with distractibility and underachievement. Head circumference greater than the 90th percentile for age was associated with unvarying behavior and clumsiness; tactile agnosia with unvarying behavior; asymmetry of the eyes with hyperactivity; and asymmetrical position of the child's head with underachievement. A negative association was found between nystagmus and musical ability.(Am J Dis Child 129: [1036][1037][1038][1039][1040] 1975) Cl assroom behavior problems have origins in cultural attitudes, training, emotional experiences, function of central nervous system (CNS), the presence of illness, and the methods of the teacher. This study tests for associations between minor changes found on a screening neuro¬ logical examination and behavioral characteristics observed by teachers. Such associations show how CNS vari¬ations explain a small part of the be¬ havior observed in the learning expe¬ rience. SUBJECTS AND METHODSA neurological examination prepared and tested by Rabe was adapted to a stan¬ dardized reporting form for the Bureau of School Health of the Baltimore City Health Department.1 The examination was de¬ signed to identify minor neurological prob¬ lems that might be related to learning problems or to symptoms of minimal cere¬ bral dysfunction. Pediatricians were hired by the Baltimore City Health Department to perform physical and neurological ex¬ aminations on selected children. The defi¬ nitions and criteria for positive findings were reviewed with these physicians, and demonstration examinations were con¬ ducted to standardize the procedures. The form used by the physician listed the test and stated the criteria for a positive find¬ ing: "Tactile Agnosia: makes at least one mistake on two point test on sides of fin¬ ger on 5 trials; yes or no." Another ex¬ ample is "Motion on Verbal Command: in¬ struct which is right and left and say, 'Simon says, point with right hand to right ear' "; failure of one or more out of three commands was a positive finding.Teacher observations of the behavior of children in the classroom were recorded on a questionnaire modified from that of Eis¬ enberg et al.2 The questionnaire uses a four-point scale for each characteristic. We attempted to increase comparability of teachers' ratings by defining the lowest and highest levels as the respective lowest and highest 10% of children the same age known to...

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The Use of Teacher Ratings in a Mental Health Study: A Method for Measuring the Effectiveness of a Therapeutic Nursery Program

Cited by 16 publications

References 6 publications

First Grade Norms, Factor Analysis and Cross Correlation for Conners, Davids, and Quay-Peterson Behavior Rating Scales

First Grade Norms, Factor Analysis and Cross Correlation for Conners, Davids, and Quay-Peterson Behavior Rating Scales

Factors affecting outcome in a school mental health service

Relationships Between Neurological Findings and Classroom Behavior

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