Direct Behavior Rating

Direct Behavior Rating (DBR) is a category of social behavioral assessment frequently used by school psychologists and teachers to monitor student behavior. Direct behavior ratings typically involve four steps:

1. specifying a target behavior that one wishes to monitor
2. rating that behavior following a specified observation period
3. sharing the obtained information across individuals (e.g., parents, teachers, students)
4. utilizing the outcome data to monitor the target behavior over time

Direct Behavior Ratings combine positive aspects of other behavior collection systems including the specificity of systematic direct observation and the flexibility of behavior rating scales in order to create a measure that is feasible for teachers, parents, and other school professionals to use in order to rate student behavior. According to a recent survey, over 60% of classroom teachers report that they employ DBR or a DBR-like tool within their classrooms and view it as a highly acceptable intervention tool. Recent research further indicates the acceptability of the measure to school psychologists who are frequently responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of research-based classroom interventions.

Direct behavior ratings may vary according to the type of behavior to be rated (e.g., academic or social), rating frequency (e.g., daily, weekly), rater (e.g., child, teacher), etc. Numerous scholarly articles have been published in education, school psychology, and behavioral journals. Current and past research has investigated the psychometric properties of DBR, as well as use and acceptability to teachers and school psychologists. Citations for these articles and further information on how to use DBR can be found at http://www.directbehaviorratings.com[http://directbehaviorratings.com/].