AGREEMENT AMONG CLASSROOM OBSERVERS OF CHILDRENS STYLISTIC LEARNING BEHAVIORS

Standardized and reliable rating scales have an important role in educ ational assessment and behavioral classroom intervention. The Learning Behaviors Scale (LBS) is a standardized behavior rating scale designe d to report how individual students respond to classroom learning situ ations. This study investigated the interobserver agreement of the LBS with the use of linear and intraclass correlation methods. The method s jointly assessed the three salient aspects of observer judg ments-se verity level, rank order, and directionality. Participants were 72 stu dents enrolled in special education programs as observed by 16 educato rs in eight self-contained classrooms. Both linear and intraclass coef ficients were substantial (averages = .83 and .84, respectively). No s ignificant observer effect was found. Moreover, the LBS produced compa rable levels of differential learning styles for assessments of indivi dual children. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.