Validity of self- and parent-report scales in screening students for behavioral and emotional problems in elementary school

Abstract

The comparative validity of the child-report Classroom Screening Scale (CLASS) from the Personality Inventory for Youth (PIY), and the parent-report Adjustment Scale (ADJ) from the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) was examined. The subjects were 111 children from fourth- through sixth-grade regular education classrooms. Children were classified as positive or negative for risk status on each screening scale using a cutoff of 60T. Parent description identified a higher proportion of children as at risk. Those identified as “at risk” by either parent or child report were more likely than others to have clinically elevated scores on both the PIC and PIY clinical scales. High scores on CLASS were more likely to have clinically significant elevations than were high scorers on ADJ. Parent report appeared to be sensitive to overt behavioral problems, while self-report was sensitive to mood disturbances and withdrawal. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.