The reliability and validity of the instructional climate inventory‐student form

The increased focus on school climate as a causative factor in dropping out of school has led to the development of a number of instruments intended to measure perceived school climate. This study examined the reliability and validity of the Instructional Climate Survey‐Form S (ICI‐S; Braskamp & Maehr, 1988), a 20‐item instrument that measures school climate as seen by students. The internal consistency and factor structure of the ICI‐S were examined, as well as the ability of the instrument to classify students from different educational settings. Three hundred and twenty‐eight students representing three programs rated programs they attended using the ICI‐S. Factor analysis indicated that ICI‐S was best explained by one factor. The reliability coefficients of the total score were within the acceptable range (above .80) for all three programs, and the total score correctly classified 57% of the students. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Estimating Wisc‐III scores for special education students using the Dumont‐Faro short form

The Dumont‐Faro short form was used to estimate Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children‐III (WISC‐III) Full Scale IQ scores for 45 special education students in a rural setting. Using the validation criteria proposed by Resnick and Entin (1971), results demonstrated that IQ scores generated by the Dumont‐Faro short form were positively correlated (r= .96) with the WISC‐III Full Scale scores. A significant mean difference in scores and an IQ misclassification rate of 44%, however, challenge the utility of the Dumont‐Faro short form for estimating WISC‐III Full Scale IQ. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Development of a short form of the attitudes toward mathematics inventory

Existing instruments designed to measure mathematics attitudes were too long, dated, or assessed with only western samples. To address this issue, a shortened version of the Attitudes Toward Mathematics Inventory (short ATMI) which measures four subscales??enjoyment of mathematics, motivation to do mathematics, self-confidence in mathematics, and perceived value of mathematics??was created. Its factor structure, reliability, and validity were assessed with 1,601 participants from Singapore. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the original four-factor structure. Within this structure, however, several items were found to correlate highly with others. Their removal either improved or did not impact the properties of the instrument. As a result, these items were removed to produce the short ATMI. Furthermore, a very high correlation (r?=?.96) was found between the enjoyment and motivation subscales. Results of further analysis suggested the removal of the motivation subscale. The short ATMI exhibited strong correlations with the original scale (mean r?=?.96), good overall internal consistencies, both for the full short version (???=?.93) and for the individual subscales (mean ???=?.87), and satisfactory test?Cretest reliability over a 1-month period (mean r _xx ?=?.75). The validity of the short ATMI was further demonstrated through inter-correlations between its subscales, and through correlations with mathematics anxiety and achievement test scores. Participants were able to complete the short ATMI in less than 10?min, making it a viable option when survey administration time is limited. This time would reduce further with the removal of the motivation subscale.     

Validation of the short form of the career development inventory with an Iranian high school sample

A short 33-item form of the Career Development Inventory was validated on a sample of 310 Iranian high school students. Factor analysis indicated that attitude and cognitive subscale items loaded on their respective factors, and that internal reliability coefficients at all levels were satisfactory to good. Support for validity was demonstrated by associations in the expected direction for career decidedness and career decision-making self-efficacy. This short form of the inventory shows promise as a measure of career maturity with students from a non-Western country.     

Associations between peer victimization and school climate: The impact of form and the moderating role of gender

The purpose of the present study is to examine whether physical and relational victimization negatively impacts indicators of school climate–students’ perceptions of school safety, their attachment to school, and their help‐seeking behavior–and whether gender moderates these associations. Using a sample of 361 third through fifth‐grade students recruited from six public elementary schools, results reveal that relational and physical victimization were both uniquely associated with lower levels of school safety and school attachment, with stronger associations between school attachment and relational victimization. However, only physical victimization was negatively associated with help‐seeking, suggesting that physical victimization is more influential on help seeking as compared with relational victimization. Gender moderated the relationships between victimization and school attachment and help‐seeking with differences by form noted. No gender differences were evident in associations between the forms of peer victimization and school safety. Implications for prevention and intervention in schools are discussed.     

Relationships among school climate domains and school satisfaction

This study investigated the magnitude of the relationships between eight school climate domains and a measure of global school satisfaction among 2,049 middle and high school students. Tests of moderator effects were conducted to determine if the magnitude of the relationships between the school climate domains and school satisfaction differed as a function of students' gender, grade, age, GPA, or SES. Multiple regression analyses suggested that five school climate domains are significantly related to school satisfaction (p < .01): Academic Support (beta weight = 0.17), Positive Student‐Teacher Relationships (0.12), School Connectedness (0.11), Order and Discipline (0.13), and Academic Satisfaction (0.12). In addition, the importance of the school climate variables to students' school satisfaction appeared invariant across the demographic variables and academic performance levels. The inclusion of school climate and school satisfaction measures may form a foundation for more comprehensive assessments for understanding and monitoring the experiences of students in schools. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A four-test short form of the WISC-R

A four-test short form of the WISC-R was developed on the basis of both rational and statistical criteria, using data from the representative standardization sample. The short-form comprised Arithmetic and Vocabulary from the Verbal Scale along with Picture Arrangement and Block Design from the Performance Scale. Various psychometric properties of the abbreviated battery were defined, and indicators of the short form's accuracy in predicting Full-Scale IQ (the standard error of estimate, effectiveness in classifying a child's intelligence level) were provided. A major topic of discussion was the use and abuse of short forms.     

Out‐of‐school learning: The uneven distribution of school provision and local authority support

A significant volume of research demonstrates that out‐of‐school learning activities enhance student development in terms of cognitive, affective and social outcomes. However, there is also evidence that the opportunity to engage in these activities has been severely reduced in recent years. This paper explores the extent to which the provision of such opportunities is unevenly distributed—spatially and institutionally. The paper draws on research from two recently completed projects: one charting the distribution, attributes and vulnerability of local authority outdoor education centres across England and the other exploring variations in provision and participation in out‐of‐school learning within secondary schools throughout the UK. The paper highlights the uneven, precarious and uncertain nature of such activities and demonstrates that important regional and structural variations in the support and provision of opportunities for such activities by local authorities appear to have an important role in determining the provision of activities at the level of the schools.     

Development and validation of a short form of the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices Scale (TEIP-SF)

High self-efficacy is a marker of successful teaching and is, therefore, a subject of great interest to research on inclusive education. One of the most frequently used instruments to assess such beliefs is the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practice (TEIP) scale. Although used widely, some studies did not precisely replicate the original factor structure, and no short form of the TEIP scale currently exists, although this could enhance measurement efficiency. This study (1) systematically assessed the TEIP scale's factor structure and psychometric properties, (2) identified potentially problematic items and developed a more concise short form of the scale, and (3) evaluated its dimensionality and criterion and convergent validities using three validation samples of teachers in three different countries (486 in Switzerland, 189 in Australia and 276 in Canada). Compared to the full-length TEIP scale, the TEIP-SF uses half the items, demonstrates better model fit and reveals a clearer distinction of domain-specific factors. In conclusion, the TEIP-SF represents a concise, efficient means of assessing teachers' self-efficacy about teaching in inclusive classrooms.     

A short form of the WISC-R for gifted students

Much effort has been devoted to the derivation of short forms of intelligence tests. The present study was undertaken to develop a short form of the WISC-R for the intellectually gifted. The results confirmed previous findings that the Vocabulary and Block Design dyad comprise the best two-subtest short form. The present study indicated that the Similarities, Vocabulary, Block Design, and Object Assembly tetrad could be the most useful in time and reliability.     

Longitudinal inter-relations between school cultural socialization and school engagement: The mediating role of school climate

The question of whether schools should promote cultural pride and engage students in ethnic traditions is hotly contested. To contribute to this debate, this longitudinal study examined whether school cultural socialization predicted adolescents' engagement in school over time and whether this relation was mediated by school climate. Data were collected in four waves during a two-year period from 254 African American fifth-graders (53.9% males; M_age = 10.95 at Wave 1) enrolled in three public middle schools. Results revealed that African American youth who reported more school cultural socialization also had greater school engagement over time. This longitudinal relation was fully mediated by youth's perceptions of school climate. Implications for how to promote African American youth's perceptions of schools as culturally sensitive and supportive environments are discussed.     

The role of the school climate in high school students’ mental health and identity formation: A South Australian study

The well‐documented increase in student mental health issues in Australia and growing recognition of the need for education to play a part in students’ identity formation prompted this study. The research reported in this article sought to identify specific elements of the school climate that were likely to influence the interplay of adolescent health and development and students’ identity formation. The aim was two‐fold. First, the study examined the relationships between students’ perceptions of the school climate and self‐reports of wellbeing, resilience and moral identity; and, second, the interrelationships between the three outcome variables were explored. Two surveys, one to assess students’ perceptions of features of the school climate, and another to assess students’ wellbeing, resilience and moral identity, were administered to 618 Year 11 students from 15 independent schools in South Australia. Structural equation modelling was used to investigate hypothesised relationships between students’ perceptions of their school climate and self‐reports of wellbeing, resilience and moral identity. Our results indicated statistically significant and positive relationships between school‐climate factors and each of the three outcome variables. Further, indirect relationships (mediated largely by resilience) were found between school‐climate factors and students’ wellbeing. Our findings could be used to guide schools in building tangible, purposeful environments that engender well‐balanced, positive, resilient citizens with strong moral identities.     

A climate for self-efficacy: the relationship between school climate and teacher efficacy for inclusion

Teacher efficacy represents a key construct in exploring successful implementation of inclusive policy. Teachers’ impression of school climate is shown to relate to teacher efficacy; however, few studies pay due deference to its context/specific conceptualisation, with a particular lacuna in research noted in an Irish mainstream primary school context. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between school climate and efficacy for inclusion and whether this relationship impacts on perceptions of challenging behaviours, further identifying barriers to and supports for efficacious inclusive practice. Fifty-seven probated primary mainstream teachers in the Republic of Ireland responded to online questionnaires exploring perceptions of school climate, teacher efficacy for inclusion and challenging behaviours. Teachers’ perceptions of a supportive school climate related positively to their teaching efficacy for inclusion, in turn influencing their ratings of the severity of and their confidence in managing commonly experienced challenging behaviours in inclusive classrooms. Teachers looked within their school for support, few noting Educational Psychologists (EPs) as sources for support. These findings add weight to the importance of understanding the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of their school climate and their efficacy for inclusion, addressing the dearth of research in an Irish context. In particular, these findings underline the potential offered by an understanding of teachers’ beliefs to inform and enhance the role of EPs in supporting efficacious inclusive practice.     

Development of a peer‐assisted learning strategy in computer‐supported collaborative learning environments for elementary school students

This study explores the effects of Electronic Peer‐Assisted Learning for Kids (EPK), on the quality and development of reading skills, peer interaction and self‐concept in elementary students. The EPK methodology uses a well‐developed, synchronous computer‐supported, collaborative learning system to facilitate students' learning in Chinese. We first review the theoretical framework and architecture of EPK. This study aimed to compare students learning Chinese language arts activities online using EPK with students learning face‐to‐face in a classroom setting. Students' online interactions were coded into four patterns of peer interactions: task coordination, tutor behaviour, tutee behaviour and off‐task. The online activity type significantly influenced the online peer interactions. Students in the online peer‐assisted learning group outperformed the face‐to‐face group on reading skills. Students learning online showed significant growth in self‐concept, and this was especially true for students who were passive participants. These findings demonstrate that EPK is an effective tool that can enhance elementary students' reading, as well as promote positive self‐concepts.     

Mainstreaming in an urban middle school: Effects of school organization and climate

Mainstreaming in an urban middle school was examined for three years by a participant observer. It was hypothesized that the school's organization and culture would affect mainstreaming. Findings confirmed this hypothesis. Homogeneity of academic classes and the requirement that students fit into academic groups limited access for special education students to classes where they could function academically as the students did in general education. Criteria for selecting students were not delineated; special and general education teachers communicated informally and irregularly about their students' functioning in mainstream classes; and students received little help with their academic mainstream responsibilities. Students from special education were added to regular classes that were already very large and teacher permission was necessary to include a mainstream student in a general education class. Some school factors facilitated mainstreaming. The principal advocated it and supported its implementation. Special education teachers initiated mainstreaming through their social networks in the school. Heterogeneous groups in minor subjects offered classes with a wider range of ability within which special education students could function, and low track homogeneous classes provided environments that were more like special education classes.     

High school identity climate and student identity development

This research investigated whether schools characterized by high school students as being rich in identity promoting features contribute to student identity development. A theoretical model posited that student perceptions of teachers as caring role models and their school as cultivating the whole student will foster student exploration and confidence about future identity development. Hypothesized mediators of these effects were student perceptions of a positive social climate, of experiencing meaningful studies and of affirmation of their agency and exploration. Participants were 2787 male and female students from the Jewish public-religious sector in Israel in 152 classes of 25 high schools. Results indicated that (a) schools with identity promoting features contribute to student identity development, (b) teachers as role models is a more potent variable than teacher caring in predicting student identity development and (c) experiencing meaningful studies is an especially important contributor to student exploration and identity confidence.     

A comparison between value-added school estimates and currently used metrics of school accountability in California

This study compared a value-added approach to school accountability to the currently used metrics of accountability in California of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and Academic Performance Index (API). Five-year student panel data (N?=?53,733) from 29 elementary schools in a large California school district were used to address the research questions. Results show the strong relationship between AYP and API to student background measures. Schools with a majority of students from low socioeconomic background lagged far below schools from more affluent context. Results from the value-added approach however, showed a strongly diminished relationship to student background. Under this model, several schools from a low socioeconomic context can be seen as high achieving. Additionally, little evidence was found that high levels of student achievement negatively affect school value-added scores. Schools that enroll large proportions of advanced students, which often do not show positive growth across years are not penalized under a value-added approach. Recommendations for policy and future research are discussed.