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

(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)* From 1995 to 2005, students between the ages of 6 and 21 with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) increased by 10% to almost one half million (U.S. Department of Education, 2006). Despite the growing demand for increasing quality services for these students, their behavioral and academic outcomes are still problematic (e.g., Nelson, Benner, Lane, & Smith, 2004; Wagner et al., 2006). The National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS2), for example, indicated that 75% of high school students with EBD have experienced suspensions or expulsions, a rate four times higher than their typical peers (Wagner & Cameto, 2004). Students with EBD have the highest dropout rate when compared to other disability categories, most likely due to their lower levels of academic skills and school engagement (Nelson et al., 2004; Wagner et al., 2006). A meta-analysis of the academic achievement of students with EBD found their achievement to be much lower than typically developing peers and this discrepancy increased across the middle and high school grades (Reid, Gonzalez, Nordness, Trout, & Epstein, 2004).These findings suggest that schools and community agencies are not providing an effective array of services for students with EBD to be successful in school and society. Wagner and colleagues (2006) identified three primary unmet needs for students with EBD: the lack of effective academic accommodations, the paucity of mental health or behavioral services, and limited teacher support and training. These concerns are longstanding, since Knitzer, Steinberg, and Fleisch (1990) reported that programs for students with EBD were inadequate two decades ago. Steinberg and Knitzer (1992) found a "curriculum of control" dominating in classrooms that used control techniques to manage disruptive and aggressive behavior and an academic curriculum that was lacking in its intellectual content. These approaches resulted in students with EBD spending a great degree of idle time while they waited for academic instruction. The unmet needs of students with EBD continue to suggest that educational practices for children/youth with EBD deserve attention and improvement, particularly when current law suggests that scientifically based practices should be used in educational programs.The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, for example, required schools to be more accountable for the educational outcomes of students through the use of scientifically based practices. By improving these practices, along with evaluation and monitoring methods of students' progress, schools would become more accountable for student outcomes (Borenson, 2006). Spaulding (2008) found that, although student progress is tracked through standardized assessments, educators seldom focus on program evaluation. Through program evaluation, school teams can identify the worth of their curriculum and instructional practices and be given direction on how to refine an unsuccessful program Gason, 2008; Spaulding, 2008). In addition, evaluation can increase school efficiency by allocating resources to the areas of the greatest concerns. Ultimately, improved programs enhance student achievement Gason, 2008). There are two types of evaluation methods: formative and summative. Formative evaluation focuses on program improvement, while summative evaluation collects student outcomes to judge the merits of a program (Fitzpatrick, Sanders, & Worthen, 2011). Overall, program evaluation should therefore be viewed as a valuable approach to improving the existing programs for all students, but particularly for those with EBD who have limited educational success.Program Evaluation for Classrooms of Students with EBDGrosenick, George, and George (1987) developed The Program Inventory, one of the earliest program evaluation tools for classrooms serving students with EBD. The Program Inventory was developed to survey school district administrators on the practices they were using in classrooms serving students with EBD. …