Matthew C. Lambert

Teacher ratings of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms: Factor structure and normative data.

Comprehensive assessment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms includes parent and teacher questionnaires. The ADHD Rating Scale-5 was developed to incorporate changes for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This study examined the fit of a correlated, 2-factor structure of ADHD (i.e., DSM-5 conceptual model) and alternative models; determined whether ADHD symptom ratings varied across teacher and child demographic characteristics; and presented normative data. Two samples were included: (a) 2,079 parents and guardians (1,131 female, 948 male) completed ADHD symptom ratings for children (N = 2,079; 1,037 males, 1,042 females) between 5 and 17 years old (M = 10.68; SD = 3.75) and (b) 1,070 teachers (766 female, 304 male) completed ADHD symptom ratings for students (N = 2,140; 1,070 males, 1,070 females) between 5 and 17 years old (M = 11.53; SD = 3.54) who attended kindergarten through 12th grade. The 2-factor structure was confirmed for both parent and teacher ratings and was invariant across child gender, age, informant, informant gender, and language. In general, boys were higher in symptom frequency than girls; older children were rated lower than younger children, especially for hyperactivity-impulsivity; and non-Hispanic children were rated higher than Hispanic children. Teachers also rated non-Hispanic African American children higher than non-Hispanic White, Asian, and Hispanic children. Non-Hispanic White teachers provided lower hyperactivity-impulsivity ratings than non-Hispanic, African American, and Hispanic teachers. Normative data are reported separately for parent and teacher ratings by child gender and age. The merits of using the ADHD Rating Scale-5 in a multimodal assessment protocol are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

The Diagnostic Quality of the Emotional and Behavioral Screener

Students who exhibit substantial behavior and emotional problems in school often have shown less severe problems earlier. Screening for such problems can suggest which students need extra support and help educators to direct support to students who are more likely to benefit. The present study explored predictive validity of a very brief behavior problem screening procedure as applied to 2,253 students ages 5 to 17 years. About half were special education students identified with emotional disturbance; the rest were students with no identified disabilities. Teachers rated them on the 10 items of the Emotional and Behavioral Screener. Any student whose sum of ratings exceeded a norm-based cutoff score was designated as at-risk; otherwise the student was not at-risk. Binary classification analyses of four age-level by gender subgroups of students showed that the instrument validly identifies at-risk students. Study method limitations and directions for research to clarify some remaining questions about this screening procedure are presented.

Examining Change in Therapeutic Alliance to Predict Youth Mental Health Outcomes

The objective of the study was to examine the link between therapeutic alliance and youth outcomes. The study was conducted at a group home with 112 youth with a disruptive-behavior diagnosis. Therapeutic alliance was collected routinely via youth and staff report. Outcome data were collected using youth and staff reports of externalizing behavior as well as behavioral incidents occurring during care. Outcome data were collected following intake into services and at 6 and 12 months of care. Data were analyzed to examine (a) whether youth behavior problems at intake were predictive of therapeutic alliance and (b) whether changes in alliance were predictive of subsequent youth outcomes. These were conducted with a 6-month service-delivery model and replicated with a 12-month model. There was some support for the first hypothesis, that initial levels of youth externalizing behavior would be related to alliance ratings; however, most of the effects were marginally significant. The second hypothesis, that changes in therapeutic alliance would be related to subsequent youth outcomes, was supported for the 6-month model, but not the 12-month model. Changes in therapeutic alliance may be predictive of youth outcomes during care. Additional research into examining therapeutic alliance trajectories is warranted to improve mental health services for youth.

Psychometrics and Measurement Invariance of the Emotional and Behavioral Screener.

Many students who exhibit behavioral and emotional problems during adolescence often show less severe problems in school in early grades. Screening for these early indicators can help educational professionals direct support to students who are more likely to benefit from increased support. The screening protocol needs to be psychometrically sound, accurate in identifying students at risk, and resource efficient. The present study explored the psychometric properties of a brief behavioral screener-the 10-item Emotional and Behavioral Screener (EBS)-for a sample of 5,109 first-grade students assessed as part of a universal screening process. Confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch measurement techniques were used in conjunction to evaluate the factorial validity, item quality, rating scale functioning, and measurement invariance across gender of the EBS. Results indicated that the EBS has largely strong psychometric properties, with a few notable exceptions: potential multidimensionality, significant differential item functioning across gender, and only moderate differentiation between rating-scale categories (i.e., response options). Limitations and directions for research to clarify some remaining questions about this screening procedure are also discussed.

A Psychometric Assessment of the Newest Vital Sign among Youth inGuatemala City

Background and Objective: Psychometrically sound health literacy assessments are widely available in the US for both adults and youth. However, among international youth populations there is a dearth of reliable instruments. This study was undertaken in order to assess the psychometric viability of using the Spanish version of the Newest Vital Sign (NVS; previously validated in the US) among a sample of youth living in Guatemala City. Methods: Analysis is based on 230 youth who were attending various schools within Guatemala City, Guatemala. Rasch modeling was used to estimate item difficulty and discrimination parameters, item fit indices, item-total correlations, and differential item functioning between male and female youth. Results: The majority of the items on the NVS exhibit acceptable properties. The last item demonstrated statistically significant DIF of a practically important magnitude (DIF > |0.43|) suggesting that females are more likely than males to answer the item correctly after controlling for the ‘amount’ of health literacy that the students possess. Conclusion: Those using the NVS among international Spanish-speaking youth populations should be aware that the NVS appears to be appropriate to use in Latin America. Females may tend to have slightly higher scores than males. Additional psychometric testing of the instrument among similar cross-national samples of youth is needed.

The Role of Therapeutic Alliance and Fidelity in Predicting Youth Outcomes During Therapeutic Residential Care

There is a gap in understanding how the treatment fidelity aspects of adherence and quality, along with common process factors such as therapeutic alliance, impact outcomes for youth. Few studies have examined both constructs of implementation and process factors simultaneously in regard to their relationship to client outcomes. This study examined the role of (a) youth ratings of implementation quality for a provider of therapeutic residential care, (b) the records of staff ratios of positive to negative statements to youth as reported for a token economy system, and (c) youth ratings of therapeutic alliance in relation to youth emotional and behavioral functioning at 6 months into therapeutic residential services. The study included data collection activities with 112 youth and staff at intake into residential group care through 6 months into residential services. Both youth ratings of therapeutic alliance and the ratio of positive to negative staff interactions with youth were related to improved youth emotional and behavioral functioning, as reported by staff using the Child Behavior Checklist. These findings suggest that it is important to consider both implementation and common process factors when looking to improve the quality of care for youth in therapeutic residential care.

Centrality of enactive experiences, framing, and motivation to student teachers’ emerging professional identity

Professional identity has emerged as a common theme in teacher development research, and the student-teaching practicum is often identified as foundational to identity development. In the context of the student-teaching practicum, interactions with cooperating teachers and pupils are believed to comprise the press for professional identity development, though theory-based explanations are often neglected in the literature, and findings are not always consistent. To address this issue, we used grounded theory to articulate a model explaining the relations among three constructs important to the process of identity development of student teachers (n = 14). Our findings are organized around a model that highlights the phenomenon of “negotiating who I am as a teacher,” which helps us describe differences between student teachers who changed identity vs. those that did not, and psychological and contextual reasons for renegotiation of identity. Discussion focuses on comparisons with previous models and possible implications for teacher education.

Convergent Validity of the Strength-Based Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale with Youth in a Residential Setting

Strength-based assessment has been identified as an appropriate approach to use in planning treatment and evaluating outcomes of youth in residential settings. In previous research, the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale-2, a standardized and norm-referenced strength-based measure, has demonstrated adequate reliability and validity with youth served in community and educational settings. The purpose of the present study was to examine the internal reliability and convergent validity of the BERS-2 by comparing the test to the Child Behavior Checklist and the Symptoms and Functioning Severity Scale. The results indicate that the scores from the BERS-2 are internally consistent and converge with other behavioral and emotional measures which, taken together, suggest that the BERS-2 could be acceptable for assessing the emotional and behavioral strengths of youth in residential settings. Study limitations and future research directions are identified.

Prevalence of physical health issues of youth with school identified disabilities in residential settings: A brief report

BACKGROUND Each year a number of youth with a school identified disability are placed in residential care. It has been well documented that these youth enter with elevated rates of behavioral, emotional, educational, mental health, and familial challenges. However, the physical and medical condition of these youth remains unstudied. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of health and medical problems among a group of youth with school identified disabilities at entrance to a residential care center. METHODS Archival medical, demographic, and disability status data were obtained for 346 youth served in a large residential care center in the Midwest. Chi-square and correlation tests, and relative risk ratio estimates, were used to evaluate the relationship between medical condition and hypothesized correlates. RESULTS Findings revealed that over one-third of the sample had at least one medical condition, with asthma being the most prevalent (15.6%). Rates of medical condition differed by disability type and prevalence of asthma differed by race/ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS Youth with a school identified disability in care demonstrate health care needs that need to be addressed while in care and following community reintegration. Intervention programs and targeted curriculum are needed to teach youth how to manage their health specific needs and how to independently navigate the health care system.

Longitudinal associations of student–teacher relationships and behavioural and emotional strengths on academic achievement

Abstract Positive student–teacher relationships are related to students’ academic achievement and behavioural and emotional adjustment. How a student’s behavioural and emotional strengths are associated with these relationships and how the relationships influence students’ academic performance remains unknown. We examined this framework using a cross-lagged panel model with a group of Finnish students and their parents from Grade 5 to Grade 7. The results revealed that the parents rated behavioural and emotional strengths are stable over a 1-year (r = .78) and 2-year (r = .71) period and that students’ perceptions of student–teacher relationships demonstrated greater change over time (r’s = .54, .35). Behavioural and emotional strengths demonstrated a positive relationship with student–teacher relationships as well as academic achievement (β = .39, p < .01). Strengths were also indirectly associated with academic achievement via student–teacher relationships. Study limitations, implications and future research are discussed.