Assessing Classroom Behaviors

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Assessing Classroom Behaviors
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• Classroom Behaviors
• Students with behavior disorders are not the only
  ones who exhibit inappropriate classroom
  behaviors
• behavior problems are the most obvious concerns
  in

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• Assessing Classroom Behavior
• student self-concept and self-esteem
• how well the students accepted by peers
• students interest and attitudes toward school
• classroom learning environment and its
  effectiveness students ability to behave properly

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Assessment Questions

• What is the student's current status in classroom
  behavior and in social-emotional development?
• Is there evidence of a severe conduct problem?
• What are the characteristics of the classroom
  learning environment?
• What is a student's current status and
  self-concept and acceptance by peers?
• What are the student's current interest and
  attitudes toward school and learning?

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• Design instructional program to improve classroom
  behavior should be goal
• may include formal norm-referenced measures
• but the informal assessment should be stressed

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• Considerations in assessment of classroom
  behavior
• classroom behaviors are broad terms that
  encompass a range of nonacademic school behaviors
• this can be the students conduct within a
  classroom setting, responses to school rules,
  interpersonal relationships with teachers of the
  students, and self-concept and attitude toward
  school

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Purposes

• classroom behaviors social emotional
  development are assessed to gain information
  (current ability to meet nonacademic demands)

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• IDEA 1997
• i)        The term emotional disturbance refers
  to a condition exhibiting one or more of the
  following characteristics over a long time and to
  a marked degree that adversely affects a
  students educational performance
• (a)   An inability to learn that cannot be
  explained by intellectual, sensory, or other
  health factors
• (b)   An inability to build or maintain
  satisfactory interpersonal relationships with
  peers and teachers.
• (c)   Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings
  under normal circumstances

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• IDEA cont.
• (d)   A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or
  school problems
• (e)   A tendency to develop physical symptoms or
  fears associated with personal or school problems
• ii)      The term does not apply to children who
  are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined
  that they have an emotional disturbance.

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• IDEA definition excludes students with social
  maladjustments, which refers to a student whose
  behavior conflicts with society in general but is
  an adaptive, often peer-approved response to
  their environment (i.e. gangs)
• Implies choice vs. students with ED/BD result of
  disability.

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• Problems with identification
• Lack of precise definitions of mental health and
  normal behavior
• Differences among conceptual models
• Difficulties in measuring emotions and behavior
• Relationships b/t emotional and behavioral
  disorder and other disabilities
• Differences in the professionals who diagnose and
  serve children and youths
•  

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• 2 major approaches in assessing emotional
  disorders
• first approach teachers, instructional aides,
  parents, and others knowledgeable to provide
  information about the students current
  behavioral status to determine whether the
  students behaviors perceived as inappropriate in
  their environment
• ( rating scales, checklists, interviews, and
  questionnaires)
• second approach relies on direct observation of
  the student in the environment where experiencing
  difficulty 
• most often both are used

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Issues and Trends

• emotional disturbance vs. behavioral disorders
• behavioral disorders is preferred by many because
  it indicates the behaviors can be changed
• emotional disturbance is a more traditional terms
  and is the one used by federal law
• the definition of the disability itself is
  controversial
• insert information about why that's difficult
• what is appropriate for one age may not be
  appropriate for another
• normal play among boys may be labeled aggressive
  among girls

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Current Practices

•  
• special education assessment usually begins with
  the questioning of informants
• on page 291 table 10-1 they talk about the
  different theories of behavioral disorders
• table 10-2 on page 292 formal measurements of
  classroom behavior and related concerns

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• sources of information about classroom behavior
• school records
• discipline and attendance records
• observations of former teachers
• past services
• the student
• current classroom behavior
• current attitudes and perceptions 
• teachers
• observations of current behavior
• characteristics of the learning environment
• peer's
• peer acceptance interaction
• parents
• observations of current behavior
• characteristics of the home environment

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• Behavior Rating Scales and Checklists
• Behavior Rating Profile 2nd Ed. page 295
• profile scores can compare mother, father,
  student, several teachers, school, home, peer
• Other Measures That Use Informants
• Behavior Evaluations Scale-2
• disorders described in the federal law on five
  subscales
• learning problems, interpersonal difficulties,
  inappropriate behavior, unhappiness/depression,
  and physical symptoms/fears

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Comparison Of Behavior Rating Scales And
Checklists

• most of these measures are designed for
  school-age populations (elementary)
• purposes assessment of personality rather than
  behavior disorders
• Burk's Behavior Rating Scales

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Direct Observation And Functional Assessment

• direct measures are needed to substantiate
  existence of behavior problems,
• many screening measures are too general for
  program planning
• observation can be used to study any type of
  behavior appropriate or inappropriate, academic
  or social, at home or at school

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Direct Observation

• the first step is to decide which behavior is to
  be study
• describe behavior to be observed
• select a measurement system
• set up the data collection system
• select a data reporting system
• carry out the observation

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Anecdotal Observations

• Allows the teacher to become acquainted with an
  individual and his/her behavior in the natural
  environment
• Written narrative describing critical incidents
• Confirm existence of problem
• Reveal conditions that promote a behavior
• Indicate events that affect the behavior
• Identify positive behaviors that would substitute
  for the problem behavior

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Event Recording

• Has the advantage over anecdotal recording of
  providing quantitative data.
• Counting the number of occurrences of target
  behavior during a specified time
• Not a good measure for recording non-discrete
  behaviors of long duration (tantrums)

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Duration Recording

• The total time that a target behavior occurs
  during a given time.
• Stopwatch is needed
• Works well with non-discrete events such as
  tantrums or crying.

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Partial Interval Recording

• Allows recording more than one behavior during
  one time segment.
• Dividing time into brief intervals and observing
  we\whether a target behavior occurs during that
  interval.
• Difficult to use in classroom b/c it is continuous

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Momentary Time Sampling

• Involves recording the occurrence or
  nonoccurrence of one or more target behaviors at
  the end of the period (5 minutes)
• Does not require continuous monitoring
• Preferred by teachers/observers
• Proves to be a reliable record method at the end
  of a week

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Reporting Methods

• Percentages
• Number of occurrences
• Graphs (line or bar chart)

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Functional Assessment

• informal assessment technique
• includes direct observation
• tied directly to program planning
• designed to gather the information necessary to
  develop positive behavior support plans to
  improve the classroom functioning of students
  with inappropriate behaviors
• steps
• describing the behavior
• identifying factors influencing behavior
• generating a hypothesis
• program planning

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FA Assumptions

• Challenging behavior is related to context in
  which it occurs
• Behaviors are influenced by the events or
  consequences that follow them
• Inappropriate behaviors will increase if rewarded
  and decrease if punished. Inappropriate behaviors
  are influenced by the circumstances or context in
  which it occurs
• Challenging behaviors serves a function for the
  individual

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ABC Recording

• Antecedents visual, auditory or tactile cues
  present in a situation that determine the
  occurrence and direction of a particular behavior
• Behavior
• Consequences positive reinforcement, negative
  reinforcement, or punishment

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Functional Analysis

• Involves manipulation of those events believed to
  influence the inappropriate behavior and the
  systematic observance of the impact on the
  occurrence of behavior.
• Develop a behavior intervention plan (BIP)

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

• attention deficit refers to difficulties in
  focusing and sustaining attention
• hyperactivity is successive activity
• age of the student and the situation for which
  the behaviors displays has to be considered
• disorders are quite common
• CEC in 1992 estimated that 3 to 5 of school-age
  children

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• not considered a separate disability under
  federal law,
• ADD and ADHD were added by 1997 IDEA amendments
  to the list of conditions covered in the category
  of other health impairments

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• DSM-IV criteria the condition must exist for at
  least six months, began before age 7, appear in
  more than one environment, and cause clinically
  significant distress or impairments in social,
  academic, or occupational functioning
•  
• several of the behaviors described under the
  DSM-IV are also caused by factors other than ADHD
  or ADD

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• CEC 1992 claims 10 out of the 14 of the behaviors
  typically associated with ADD are typical in
  students who are acquiring a second language
• label ADHD should be applied only when behaviors
  of hyperactivity, distractibility, and or
  impulsivity are both chronic and pervasive

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• American Psychiatric Association (1994)
  identified several characteristics related to
  attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The
  first to the characteristics relates to
  inattention and the second to hyperactivity-impuls
  ivity. Three classifications are possible
• ADHD, combined type (if the individual meets
  criteria for both inattentive and
  hyperactivity-impulsivity)
• ADHD, predominantly inattentive type (if the
  individual meets criteria for inattentive but not
  hyperactivity-impulsivity) and
• ADHD, predominantly hyperactive-impulsivity type
  (if the individual meets criteria for
  hyperactivity-impulsivity but not inattention).

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• Inattention 6 (or more) of the following symptoms
  of inattention have persisted for at least six
  months, to a degree that is maladaptive and
  inconsistent with developmental level
• often fails to give close attention to details or
  makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or
  other activities
• often has difficulty sustaining attention in
  tasks or play activities, and
• often does not seem to listen when spoken to
  directly
• often does not follow through on instructions and
  fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in
  the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior
  or failure to understand instructions)

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Inattention (cont.)

• often has difficulties organizing task or
  activities
• often avoids, dislikes or is reluctant to engage
  in task that require sustained mental effort
  (such as schoolwork or homework)
• often loses things necessary for task or
  activities (for example avoids, school
  assignments, pencils, books)
• is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
• is often forgetful in daily activities

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• Hyperactivity-impulsivity
• six (or more) of the following symptoms of
  hyperactivity-impulsivity have persisted for at
  least six months to a degree that is maladaptive
  and inconsistent with developmental level

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• hyperactivity
• often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in
  seat
• often leaves seat in classroom or in other
  situations in which remaining seated is expected
• often runs about or climbs excessively in
  situations in which it is inappropriate (in
  adolescence or adults, may be limited to
  subjective feelings of restlessness)
• often has difficulty playing or engaging in
  leisure activities quietly
• is often on the go or often acts as if driven
  by a motor
• often talk excessively

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• impulsivity
• often blurts out answers before questions have
  been completed
• often has difficulty waiting turn
• often interrupts or intrudes on others
  (conversations or games)
• Perhaps the best-known measure of ADHD is the
  Conners Rating Scales Revised page 307

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• Self-Concept And Peer Acceptance
• have poor self-concept
• perceive themselves as failures in academic
  pursuits and may have difficulty in interacting
  with classmates

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• self-concept both formal and informal devices are
  available
• Piers-Harris Childrens Self-Concept Scale page
  309 The way I feel about myself
• My classmates make fun of me
• student answers yes no
• Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale and the
  Self-Esteem Index are promising
• 150 statements such as
• I often feel dumb
• I enjoy life
• student answers strongly agree, agree, disagree,
  or strongly disagree

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• Peer Acceptance
• general education students perceptions of
  individuals who have school performance problems
• peer attitudes towards students with disabilities
  in general not particular student
• particular student is the perceived by his or her
  classmates a sociometric technique is used

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• the most common is a nomination method
• students nominate peers they would most or lease
  like to associate with in some activity
• there is a measure from this included on the
  Behavior Rating Profiles 2nd Ed.
• sociometric instruments determine how well
  individual students are accepted by their peers
• should always be confidential
• student should be encouraged not to share
  responses with others
• page 313 figure 10-4 picture rating schedule

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• School Attitudes And Interests
• related to how well students perform in school
• interests and negative attitudes can contribute
  to school performance problems

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• Attitudes Toward School
• toward particular subjects or specific classrooms
  are important
• the majority of assessment tools are informal
  include interviews, questionnaires, and checklist
• interviews or questionnaires would pinpoint
  student's views about school

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• another technique is to using incomplete
  sentences
• for me, school is .
• learning new things in school makes the feel .
• Interest preferences among subjects may prove
  useful in academic counseling
• knowledge of leisure activities can help students
  especially those reluctant
• figure 10-5 is an attitude survey for secondary
  students
• series of open-ended questions about student
  preferences

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• Learning Environment
• behavioral expectations
• classroom roles
• questions to consider in classroom management
•  

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• Instructional Demands
• student-teacher interactions
• physical environment
• sound, convenience, student traffic patterns,
  teacher mobility, flexibility, density,

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• ANSWERING ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS
• type of procedures
• nature of the assessment task
• documentation of classroom behavior