9781593854942

Table of Contents


1	Introduction to School-Based Behavioral Assessment	1
	What is School-Based Behavioral Assessment and Why is it Needed?	2
	How are Decisions Made About Where to Focus Assessment Efforts?	3
	How are Assessment Tools Selected?	6
	Why do You Need the Data?	6
	Which Tools are Best Matched to Assess the Behavior of Interest?	9
	What Decisions Witt be Made Using these Data?	9
	What Resources are Available to Collect these Data?	9
	Concluding Comments	10
2	Behavioral Assessment within the Context of the Whole School	11
	Why Look at the Whole-School Context?	11
	Leading with a Team	12
	Adopting a Systems Perspective	12
	Teaching and Encouraging Prosocial Skilks	13
	Discouraging Rule-Violating Behaviors	14
	Maintaining a Continuum of Positive Behavior Supports	14
	Using Data to Guide Decision Making and Action Planning	15
	What are the Guidelines for Whole-School Assessment and Monitoring?	15
	Start by Developing the Questions that Need to be Answered to Improve Important Academic and Behavioral Outcomes	15
	Start with Existing Data Sources	15
	How do You Use Whole-School Data Collected from ODRs?	16
	Use a Consistent Form	16
	Collect, Input, Summarize, and Evaluate Data as Events Occur and When Questions Need to be Answered	17
	Assess Fidelity of Implementation	24
	Evaluate from a Systems Perspective	24
	What are the Strengths of Using ODR Data?	26
	Easily Accessible/Already Available	26
	Useful in Describing and Assessing School Climate	26
	Easy for Stakeholders (e.g., Teachers) to Use	26
	What are the Weaknesses of Using ODR Data?	26
	Potential Time Consumption	26
	Focus on Rule Violations and Problem Behaviors	27
	Difficulty in Establishing and Maintaining Consistent and Accurate Use by Individual Teachers and Administrators	27
	Misinterpretation	27
	Concluding Comments	27
3	Using Extant Data in Behavioral Assessment	31
	What are Extant Data and Why Use Them?	31
	What Types of Extant Data might be Available for Academic Behaviors?	32
	Performance Summaries	32
	Work Samples	35
	Curriculum-Based Assessment	37
	What Types of Extant Data might be Available for Social Behaviors?	38
	How do You Decide Which Information Might be Useful?	42
	How do You Summarize Data Collected?	42
	What are the Strengths Associated with Using Extant Data?	44
	Easily Accessible/Already Available	44
	Reduced Risk of Reactivity	44
	Contextually Relevant	45
	What are the Weaknesses Associated with Using Extant Data?	45
	Could Easily Become Time Consuming	45
	May Paint a Limited Picture	45
	Difficulty in Establishing and Maintaining Consistent and Accurate Use	45
	Unknown Psychometric Adequacy	46
	Concluding Comments	46
4	Systematic Direct Observation	50
	What is SDO and Why Use It?	50
	What are Specific Techniques for SDO?	51
	Event-Based Recording	53
	Time-Based Recording	57
	How do You Select and Define Behaviors to be Observed during SDO?	62
	How do You Choose a System for Collecting SDO Data?	63
	How do You Summarize Data Collected from SDO?	65
	What are the Strengths Associated with SDO Techniques?	66
	Directness	66
	Flexibility	66
	Usefulness in Progress Monitoring	67
	Standardized Procedures	68
	Minimal Cost for Materials	68
	What Weaknesses are Associated with SDO Techniques?	68
	Difficulty with Definition Specificity	68
	Reactivity	69
	Observer Error and Observer Drift	69
	Limited Feasibility in Terms of Training and Intrusiveness	71
	Difficulty Monitoring Low-Frequency Behaviors	71
	Generalizahility	71
	Concluding Comments	72
5	Direct Behavior Ratings	76
	What are DBRs and Why Use Them?	76
	When should DBRs be Used?	78
	How should You Design the DBR Form?	80
	What is the Target Behavior and Who is the Focus of the Rating?	80
	What Scale for Rating should be Used?	81
	When, Where, and How Often will Data be Collected?	81
	Who will Conduct the Rating?	82
	Will DBRs be Tied to Consequences?	84
	What should be Considered When Implementing DBR Procedures?	84
	How are DBR Data Summarized?	89
	What are the Strengths of DBRs?	90
	Highly Flexible	90
	Highly Feasible, Acceptable, and Familiar	90
	High Potential for Use in Progress Monitoring	90
	Reduced Risk of Reactivity	91
	Can be Used in Both Assessment and Intervention	91
	Minimal Cost for Materials	91
	What are the Weaknesses of DBRs?	91
	Rater Influence	91
	Limited Response Format	92
	Limited Knowledge About Psychometric Adequacy	92
	Concluding Comments	92
6	Behavior Rating Scales	101
	What are Behavior Rating Scales and Why Use Them?	101
	Perception	102
	Cluster	103
	Comparison	104
	When should a Behavior Rating Scale be Used?	104
	What are Some of the Available Behavior Rating Scales?	108
	Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition	108
	ADHD Rating Scale-IV	109
	How do You Summarize Data Collected from Behavior Rating Scales?	110
	What are the Strengths Associated with Behavior Rating Scales?	110
	Reliable Estimates of Multiple Behaviors	110
	Use for Screening, Diagnostic, and Evaluative Purposes	112
	Feasibility When Administered Infrequently	112
	Assistance with Assessment of Low-Frequency Behaviors	112
	What are the Weaknesses Associated with Behavior Rating Scales?	113
	Limited Evidence of Use in Progress Monitoring	113
	Limited Use in Intraindividual Comparison	113
	Influence of the Rater	113
	Potential Cost	114
	Focus on Problems Rather than Strengths	114
	Concluding Comments	114
7	Putting it All Together: Selecting Behavioral Assessment Tools	115
	Selecting Behavioral Assessment Tools: Returning to the Guiding Questions	115
	Why do You Need the Data?	115
	Which Data do I Need?	118
	Case Examples	121
	Case Example; Chris	122
	Case Example: Susie, Sally, and Sandy	122
	Case Example: Kindergarten Students at Pine Grove School	124
	Concluding Comments	124
Appendix	Guidelines for Summarizing and Interpreting Behavioral Data	127
	References	139
	Index	145