Preliminary Psychometrics of the Participatory Evaluation and Expert Review for Classrooms Serving Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities (PEER-EBD)

• Published in: Behavioral disorders 2013-05, Vol.38 (3), p.137-153
• Main Authors: Tsai, Shu-Fei, Cheney, Douglas, Walker, Bridget
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Allied Health Personnel; Behavior; Behavior Disorders; Behavioral assessment of children; Behavioral disorders; Classroom environment; Classroom management; Classroom Observation Techniques; Comparative Analysis; Construct Validity; Content Validity; Cultural education; Disabled students; Educational Practices; Emotional Disturbances; Evaluation Methods; Factor Analysis; Inventory; Mood disorders; Outcomes of Education; Paraprofessional Personnel; Pedagogy; Professional development; Program Evaluation; Psychological aspects; Psychometrics; Reliability; School Personnel; School Psychologists; Self Evaluation (Groups); Social Work; Special Education Teachers; Specialists; Student diversity; Studies; Teacher Attitudes; Teachers; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Validity
• ISSN: 0198-7429; 2163-5307
• DOI: 10.1177/019874291303800303

The quality of classrooms serving students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) is a continuing concern because of its influence on students' educational outcomes. Program evaluation of classrooms for students with EBD has been a recommended practice for many years since G rosenick, George, and George (1987) conducted their national study. One current approach to program evaluation has been the inclusion of classroom and school staff in a process known as participatory evaluation. The development of a program evaluation instrument, known as the Participatory Evaluation and Expert Review for Classrooms Serving Students with EBD (PEER-EBD), is reviewed in this article. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of validity and reliability for the PEER-EBD. An extensive literature review and subsequent evaluation by an expert panel established the content validity of the instrument. Data collected from 145 educators in 23 classrooms serving students with EBD revealed that the PEER-EBD has excellent internal consistency reliability. Finally, a confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor theoretical model of the PEER-EBD and suggested that the instrument has acceptable construct validity. These initial results suggest that the PEER-EBD has promise as a tool to help school staff self-evaluate their services, identify program strengths, and identify the areas that need further improvement.