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This study investigated the construct validity of measures of teacher–student support in a sample of 709 ethnically diverse 2nd- and 3rd-grade academically at-risk students. Confirmatory factor analysis investigated the convergent and discriminant validities of teacher, child, and peer reports of teacher–student support and child conduct problems. Results supported the convergent and discriminant validity of scores on the measures. Peer reports accounted for the largest proportion of trait variance and nonsignificant method variance. Child reports accounted for the smallest proportion of trait variance and the largest method variance. A model with 2 latent factors provided a better fit to the data than a model with 1 factor, providing further evidence of the discriminant validity of measures of teacher–student support. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.

Extensive research has documented links between the quality of students' relationships with their teachers and children's concurrent and future academic and social outcomes (for reviews, see Hamre & Pianta, 2006). Children who experience supportive, positive relationships with their teachers have more positive attitudes toward school (Murray, Murray, & Waas, 2008), are more academically engaged and achieve more (Hughes, Luo, Kwok, & Loyd, 2008; Ladd, Birch, & Buhs, 1999), and are less likely to engage in substance abuse, early sex, and other risky behaviors (Resnick et al., 1997). Conversely, students whose relationships with teachers are characterized by low support and high conflict are at risk for grade retention (Pianta, Steinberg, & Rollins, 1995), peer rejection (Ladd et al., 1999),...