Daniel D. Drevon

Intercoder Reliability and Validity of WebPlotDigitizer in Extracting Graphed Data

Quantitative synthesis of data from single-case designs (SCDs) is becoming increasingly common in psychology and education journals. Because researchers do not ordinarily report numerical data in addition to graphical displays, reliance on plot digitizing tools is often a necessary component of this research. Intercoder reliability of data extraction is a commonly overlooked, but potentially important, step of this process. The purpose of this study was to examine the intercoder reliability and validity of WebPlotDigitizer (Rohatgi, 2015), a web-based plot digitizing tool for extracting data from a variety of plots, including XY coordinates of interrupted time-series data. Two coders extracted 3,596 data points from 168 data series in 36 graphs across 18 studies. Results indicated high levels of intercoder reliability and validity. Implications of and recommendations based on these results are discussed in relation to researchers involved in quantitative synthesis of data from SCDs.

Impact of Mentors During Adolescence on Outcomes Among Gay Young Adults.

ABSTRACT Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and the Adolescent Health and Academic Achievement study datasets, this study examined whether natural mentoring relationships during adolescence were associated with young adult outcomes among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons. Outcomes in three domains were investigated: education and employment, psychological wellbeing, and substance use and abuse. Results indicated that LGB persons reporting natural mentors during adolescence were about three times as likely to graduate from high school as those without. Discussion surrounds strategies to foster mentoring relationships within the school environment or community.

Test Review Michael H. Epstein and Lori Synhorst Preschool Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale Austin, TX: PRO-ED, 2009

The Preschool Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (PreBERS) is a 42-item family member– or school personnel–completed rating scale designed to measure the behavioral and emotional strengths of preschool children ages 3-0 to 5-11. According to the manual, results can be used to identify preschoolers with limited behavioral and emotional strengths, plan interventions, and monitor progress. A unique aspect of the PreBERS is that it relies entirely on strengthbased assessment rather than a deficit approach. Overall results are described as the Strength Index, which is composed of four subscales: Emotional Regulation (ER), School Readiness (SR), Social Confidence (SC), and Family Involvement (FI). Results can be described as a quotient (M = 100; SD = 15), percentile, or with a qualitative description (e.g., below average). Subscales can be described as scaled scores (M = 10; SD = 3), percentiles, or with qualitative descriptions. Higher scores are indicative of more strengths. Seven open-ended questions are included to obtain additional information on the child’s personal, family, and community resources and strengths. Completion of the PreBERS requires about 10 minutes. Materials include the Examiner’s Manual and a Summary/Response Form.

Measurement invariance of the Student Risk Screening Scale across time and gender.

Universal screening for behavioral/mental health risk is a critical component of multitiered systems of support, allowing for early identification of students in need of prevention and/or intervention services. The Student Risk Screening Scale (SRSS; Drummond, 1994) is one commonly used universal screening tool intended to measure externalizing behavior difficulties. Although the reliability and criterion-related validity of the SRSS has been studied extensively, there are limited data supporting its construct validity. To this end, the current study investigated the internal structure of the SRSS and the degree to which it demonstrated measurement invariance across time (i.e., fall, winter, spring) and gender (i.e., male, female). Fifty-five teachers completed the SRSS for 1,220 students in kindergarten through 5th grade across three elementary schools during fall, winter, and spring benchmarking periods. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the SRSS as a single-factor measure of externalizing behavior difficulties. Results of multigroup confirmatory factor analyses supported its measurement invariance across time and gender. These findings further establish the psychometric defensibility of the SRSS as used within multitiered systems of support. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed for practitioners and researchers.

Natural Mentoring Relationships as a Protective Factor for Victims of Bullying

ABSTRACT School bullying is associated with a host of unfavorable psychosocial outcomes, even as victims enter college. Thus, the identification of modifiable protective factors remains an important goal of psychological research in the context of resilience theory. The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effect of natural mentoring relationships (NMRs) on the association between peer victimization and college adjustment. Participants were 239 undergraduate students from a rural Midwestern university. Results indicated that higher levels of past peer victimization were associated with higher levels of depression and interpersonal problems. The presence of NMRs moderated the relationship between past peer victimization and interpersonal problems. Though further study is necessary, NMRs among school-aged students who experience bullying may be beneficial.

Reliability and Validity of Advanced Phonics Measures.

Two studies explored the technical adequacy of various measures of advanced phonics skills. In Study 1, the advanced phonics measures consisted of pseudowords, real words, or a combination of both. Participants included 39 students in the third grade. Test–retest correlations for all measures were above .8 and interrater reliability was high. Correlations between the three advanced phonics measures and two subtests from the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test–Second Edition (WIAT-II) and Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), nonsense word fluency (NWF), and oral reading fluency (ORF) were moderate to moderately strong. The measures containing real words or a combination of pseudowords and real words performed best. The real word and combined pseudoword and real word advanced phonics measures were further studied along with a measure of multisyllabic word reading in Study 2 with 162 second and third graders. The advanced phonics measures were strongly correlated with Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE) scores. In both studies, regression analyses indicated the probe containing a mix of real and pseudowords was one of the few variables that made a significant prediction to criterion measures of phonics skills when all predictors were entered at once.

On CALL: One Approach to Improving Services for Students with Low-Incidence Disabilities.

Students with low-incidence disabilities frequently receive less than optimal psychoeducational services because the specialized tests and instructional materials required to meet their idiosyncratic needs often are unavailable due to budget constraints, inadequate training of school personnel, and the difficulty school personnel have keeping current on low-incidence disabilities. To enhance the services provided for these students, a centralized statewide lending library for school personnel serving students with low-incidence disabilities was implemented. The development of this project, its impact, and the needs of school personnel in the area of low-incidence disabilities are described.