Rating scales developed to measure child emotional and behavioral problems typically are so long as to make their use in progress monitoring impractical in typical school settings. This study examined two methods of selecting items from existing rating scales to create shorter instruments for use in assessing response to intervention. The psychometric properties of two sets of abbreviated rating scales derived from the IOWA Conners Teacher Rating Scale and the teacher-completed Peer Conflict Scale were examined and compared to the longer original versions of these scales. The rating scales were evaluated using data from a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of immediate release methylphenidate involving a sample 65 children between 6 and 12 years old who met research diagnostic criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and either chronic motor tic disorder or Tourette's disorder. Specifically, the abbreviated and original versions of the rating scales were examined for internal consistency, temporal stability, concurrent validity, and treatment sensitivity. Results indicate that there were few significant differences between versions of the scales, which support the use of abbreviated rating scales for use in progress monitoring. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. (Contains 3 tables.)