This study examined the internal structure of the Scales for Assessing Emotional Disturbance-3 Rating Scale (RS), a teacher-completed RS developed to measure emotional disturbance (ED). As defined in U.S. law and regulations, ED involves five characteristics or patterns of behavioral and emotional maladaptation. RS data obtained on a sample of students with ED were used to examine validity evidence based on the internal structure of the assessment. Of particular interest was the extent to which multivariate factors derived from the RS data conform to the five characteristics of ED stated in the definition. Results indicate that the RS data fit a 5-factor model reasonably well. A subsequent bifactor analysis identified a considerable proportion of common variance across factors, suggesting the presence of a strong general ED factor, two distinct group factors (Inability to Learn and Inappropriate Behavior), and three weak group factors. The findings provided evidence of the validity of the SAED-3 RS based on internal structure and pointed to support for use of the RS in contributing to the process of determining whether a student qualifies for the ED education disability. Implications for improved research on the nature of ED and how students with ED can be better served are discussed.

这项研究检查了评估情绪障碍量表3量表的内部结构。（RS），是由教师完成的RS，用于测量情绪障碍（ED）。根据美国法律和法规的定义，ED涉及行为和情感适应不良的五个特征或模式。根据评估的内部结构，使用从ED学生的样本中获得的RS数据来检查有效性证据。特别令人感兴趣的是，从RS数据得出的多元因素在多大程度上符合定义中所述的ED的五个特征。结果表明，RS数据相当适合5因子模型。随后的双因素分析确定了各个因素之间相当大的共同方差，表明存在一个较强的一般ED因素，两个不同的群体因素（学习能力和不当行为）和三个弱势群体因素。这些发现提供了基于内部结构的SAED-3 RS有效性的证据，并指出支持使用RS有助于确定学生是否符合ED教育残疾的条件。讨论了对ED的性质以及如何更好地为ED学生提供更好服务的研究。