A Preliminary Investigation of a Brief Tier 1 Classroom Management Measure - Assessment for Effective Intervention 2024, Vol. 49(2)

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa

Multitiered school behavior supports depend on teachers applying generally effective Tier 1 classroom management strategies, yet tools to assess classwide Tier 1 practices are limited. This brief report presents the Classroom Atmosphere Rating Scale–Brief (CARS-B) and evaluates its measurement properties using item response theory and multilevel models. Results show most CARS-B items have acceptable discrimination and difficulty estimates, and teachers’ CARS-B latent scores are positively linked to student on-task group behavior. Potential CARS-B refinements and implications are discussed for research and practice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Keywords

Background and Need for Tier 1 Measures

Purpose and Research Questions

Method

Sample

Measures and Procedures

A Preliminary Investigation of a Brief Tier 1 Classroom Management Measure Assessment for Effective Intervention 2024, Vol. 49(2) 110–114 © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2023 Article reuse guidelines: [sagepub.com/journals-permissions](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[ ](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[DOI: 10.1177/15345084231175511](DOI: 10.1177/15345084231175511)[ ](DOI: 10.1177/15345084231175511)[aei.sagepub.com](aei.sagepub.com) Allison F. Gilmour, PhD 1, Joseph H. Wehby, PhD2, Jessica Boyle, MEd2, Howard P. Wills, PhD3, and Paul Caldarella, PhD4 Abstract Multitiered systems for supporting students’ behavior in schools rely on teachers using generally effective classroom management strategies, such as Tier 1 practices. However, few tools exist to easily assess classwide Tier 1 practices. In this brief report, we describe one potential tool, the Classroom Atmosphere Rating Scale–Brief (CARS-B) and assess the properties of the tool using item response theory and multilevel models. We found that most items on the CARS-B had acceptable discriminations and difficulty estimates. Teachers’ CARS-B latent scores were positively associated with student group on-task. We discuss potential changes to the CARS-B and its use in research and practice. Keywords instruction, observation, professional development Schools increasingly use multitiered positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) models to address students’ behavioral outcomes. Universal, Tier 1 supports are provided to all students and are implemented at the schoolwide and classwide levels. A critical universal component atthe classroom level is the extent to which teachers use evidence-based classroom management strategies. Researchers have demonstrated that effective classroom management practices predict student outcomes, such as academic performance and appropriate prosocial behaviors (Garwood & Vernon-Feagans, 2017; Simonsen et al., 2008) . Although evidence supports the impact of classroom management practices on student outcomes, general and special educators often struggle to implement effective classroom management practices, particularly when instructing students with disabilities (Hirn & Scott, 2014; Hollo & Hirn, 2015) . In addition, teacher preparation programs often exclude classroom management from their curriculum (Freeman et al., 2014; Oliver & Reschly, 2010), and teachers frequently report feeling ill-prepared to implement classroom management (Tillery et al., 2010) . Given the importance of Tier 1 classroom practices asthe foundation for multitiered systems of support, there is a need for measures to assess these practices. There are widely used measures to assess schoolwide Tier 1 practices (e.g., Benchmarks of Quality [Kincaid et al., 2010]; Tiered Fidelity Inventory [Algozzine et al., 2019]; School-Wide Evaluation Tool [Sugai et al., 2005]), but these measures often do not explicitly assess classwide Tier 1 practices or provide specific, actionable items teachers could use to improve their classroom management skills (Mathewset al., 2014). In addition, there seems to be limited reporting of classroom Tier 1 practices in the overall literature on tiered behavior support (Blair et al., 2021) . Existing observational measures that assess general classroom management (e.g., the Classroom Atmosphere Scoring System [Pianta et al., 2008], the Brief Classroom Interaction Observation–Revised [Reinke et al., 2015]) and discrete teacher and student behaviors (Lewis et al., 2014) have limitations due to the extensive training and time necessary to complete the classroom observations in resource-limited school environments. There is a need for brief, resourceefficient measures, correlated with student outcomes, that can be used by researchers and administrators to identify teachers who may require additional support with managing their classrooms, both within and outside the context of implementing PBIS. The purpose of this study

FAQs

What problem does the study address regarding Tier 1 classroom management?

It addresses the lack of easy tools for assessing classwide Tier 1 classroom management practices used by teachers.

What tool did the researchers evaluate in the study?

The study evaluated the Classroom Atmosphere Rating Scale–Brief (CARS-B) as a brief measure of teachers’ Tier 1 classroom management skills.

How were the tool’s measurement properties assessed?

The researchers used item response theory and multilevel models to examine the difficulties and discriminations of CARS-B items.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa