Cross-context agreement of the adjustment scales for children and adolescents

Interobserver agreement of children's problem behavior was assessed using t wo samples of special education students ages 5 to 18 years. The first samp le had observers from the same setting (N = 71); the second sample (N = 182 ) had observers from different settings with no concurrent observation. Reg ular and special education teachers and aides completed the Adjustment Scal es for Children and Adolescents (ASCA; McDermott, Marston, & Stott, 1993). Inter- and intraclass correlations were generally significant for both samp les, with some exceptions. Substantial interobserver agreement was found fo r the same-setting sample; however, agreement coefficients were lower for t he different-setting sample and some level effects were noted. Overall, int erobserver agreement for the ASCA was supported in common settings, but rat ing variability was evident across classrooms and appears indicative of con textual influences on behavior.