Exploring the Alignment of Behavior Screening Policies and Practices in US Public School Districts.

Background: Although recent studies provide information regarding state-level policies and district-level practices regarding social, emotional, and behavioral screening, the degree to which these policies influence screening practices is unknown. As such, the purpose of this exploratory study was to compare state- and district-level policies and reported practices around school-based social, emotional, and behavioral screening.

Methods: We obtained data for the present study from three sources: (1) a recent systematic review of state department of education websites; (2) a national survey of 1330 US school districts; and (3) a Web search and review of policy manuals published by the 1330 school districts.