Teacher-classified peer social status: Preliminary validation and associations with behavior ratings.

This study looks at teacher ratings and whether they may be a valid alternative measure of social status in elementary school children, and whether or not teacher social status ratings are distinct from disruptive behavior ratings. Participants were teachers of students in seven elementary schools (primary through 6th grade). The age range of students were 5 to 12 years old. The study consisted of 834 males and 762 females. Materials used in the study included the Assessment of disruptive Symptoms-DSM-IV (ADS-IV); which measure symptoms of ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). The researchers hypothesized that teachers classification of social status would be distinct from ratings of disruptive behavior. The current findings provide some validation for the use of teacher classifications of social status for assessing peer relationships. The researchers in this study also hypothesized that teachers' classifications of social status would be distinct from ratings of disruptive behavior. Results also supported this hypothesis.

Andrade, B. F., Waschbusch, D. A., King, S., Thurston, C., McNutt, L., & Terrio, B. (2005). Teacher-classified peer social status: Preliminary validation and associations with behavior ratings. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 23, 279-290.