Teacher Ratings of Academic Skills: The Development of the Academic Performance Rating Scale

Abstract
This study investigated the normative and psychometric properties of a recently developed teacher checklist, the Academic Performance Rating Scale (APRS), in a large sample of urban elementary school children. This instrument was developed to assess teacher judgments of academic performance to identify the presence of academic skills deficits in students with disruptive behavior disorders and to continuously monitor changes in these skills associated with treatment. A principal components analysis was conducted wherein a three-factor solution was found for the APRS. All subscales were found to be internally consistent, to possess adequate test-retest reliability, and to share variance with criterion measures of children's academic achievement, weekly classroom academic performance, and behavior. The total APRS score and all three subscales also were found to discriminate between children with and without classroom behavior problems according to teacher ratings.