Interrater reliability of the devereux behavior rating scale-school form: The influence of teacher frame of reference

Low interrater reliability coefficients are a common problem for behavior rating scales. One hypothesis to account for this is that raters have different frames of reference from which to judge behaviors. In the present study, the interrater reliability of the Devereux Behavior Rating Scale-School Form was examined, and the hypothesis that teacher frame of reference influences ratings was explored. Special and general education teachers rated the behavior of 51 children with emotional disturbance (ED), and general education teachers independently rated the behavior of 51 matched control children. Interrater reliability coefficients were higher for the general education sample than for the sample of children with ED. Limited support was found for the hypothesis that frame of reference may affect ratings. Findings suggest that many factors influence ratings and that teachers may benefit from rater training.