Behavioral Observation of Students in Schools (BOSS)

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Instrument Overview

The Behavioral Observation of Students in Schools (BOSS) is an observation-based system for coding classroom behavior. BOSS is also useful for measuring ADHD symptoms as it has been shown to differentiate between children with ADHD and typically developing children. BOSS allows systematic recording of children's behaviors in the following domains: active engaged time, passive engagement time, off-task motor activity, off-task verbal behavior, off-task passive behaviors, and teacher-directed instruction. 

Note: The overview provided for this instrument includes content that may have been sourced from the instrument publisher's or author’s website (or other site providing information about the instrument). This information is presented for educational and informational purposes only. If you have any questions about the content or its permitted uses, please contact annenberg@brown.edu.

Organization

American Institutes for Research® partnered with the Annenberg Institute at Brown University to collect instruments related to student well-being.

Content

Grades
Kindergarten,
1st Grade,
2nd Grade,
3rd Grade,
4th Grade,
5th Grade,
6th Grade,
7th Grade,
8th Grade,
9th Grade,
10th Grade,
11th Grade,
12th Grade
Keywords
Student Well-Being ; Neurodiversity ; Classroom behavior
Languages
English
Respondent
Teacher,
Observer

Administration Information

Length
Observations of 20-30 minutes repeated over 2-3 days are recommended

Access and Use

Open Access
Yes
Setting
Classroom

Psychometrics (additional guidance)

Psychometric References

Shapiro, E. S. (2011). Academic skills problems fourth edition workbook. New York: Guilford Press.