Behavior Rating Scales: Issues of Use and Development

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Abstract
Rating-scale technology is advancing as evidenced by the publication of a second generation of behavior rating scales and checklists. These instruments are assumed to represent a rater's (teachers, parents, student) summations of recent direct observations and experiences with target children. Such information can be highly relevant for the decisions school psychologists are asked to make about children and educational services. Therefore, this article reviews many uses of rating scales, provides guidelines for selecting and using rating scales, examines the Achenbach scales in some detail as a way to illustrate points about usage and development, and concludes with a discussion about advancements in the development and use of rating scales.