Accounting for learning environments in academic screening.

Within multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) practice and research, students' need for academic intervention is often determined by comparison of students' screening scores to cut scores. We examined the degree to which the relationship between students' fall screening data (i.e.

Social, emotional, and behavioral screening: A comparison of two measures and two methods across informants.

The current study is a correlational design comparing a multiple-gate social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) screening system with a single-gate SEB screening system using a common criterion variable. Teachers and parents of 105 preschool students completed the multiple-gate Preschool Behavior Screening System (PBSS; Feeney-Kettler, Kratochwill, & Kettler, 2009) and the single-gate Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS; Kamphaus & Reynolds, 2007). The measures were evaluated using Cronbach's alpha, Pearson correlations with each other, and conditional probability indices to represent accuracy in predicting scores from the Achenbach System for Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000).

Predictive validity of curriculum-based measurement and teacher ratings of academic achievement.

Two alternative universal screening approaches to identify students with early learning difficulties were examined, along with a combination of these approaches. These approaches, consisting of (a) curriculum-based measurement (CBM) and (b) teacher ratings using Performance Screening Guides (PSGs), served as predictors of achievement tests in reading and mathematics. Participants included 413 students in grades 1, 2, and 3 in Tennessee (n=118) and Wisconsin (n=295) who were divided into six subsamples defined by grade and state.

Identification of preschool children at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders: development and validation of a universal screening system.

Three studies were designed to measure various indicators of the reliability and validity of the Preschool Behavior Screening System (PBSS) as a screening instrument for emotional and behavioral disorder risk status of children of preschool age. Study 1 and Study 2 served to establish evidence for content validity. Study 3 investigated one type of reliability evidence (i.

Base rates of social skills acquisition/performance deficits, strengths, and problem behaviors: an analysis of the Social Skills Improvement System--Rating Scales.

Base rate information is important in clinical assessment because one cannot know how unusual or typical a phenomenon is without first knowing its base rate in the population. This study empirically determined the base rates of social skills acquisition and performance deficits, social skills strengths, and problem behaviors using a nationally representative sample of children and adolescent ages 3-18 years. Using the national standardization sample of the Social Skills Improvement System--Rating Scales (N = 4,550) across 3 informants (teacher, parent, and student) and across 3 broad age groupings (3-5 years, 5-12 years, and 13-18 years), these base rates were computed.

Evaluation of a cognitive intervention program for juvenile offenders.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate a cognitive intervention program for juvenile offenders. Using the How I Think (HIT) Questionnaire, 165 offenders from three juvenile correctional facilities in Wisconsin are assessed after completion of the first two phases of the Juvenile Cognitive Intervention Program. Multiple t tests are used to assess change in thinking as measured by the HIT.

The CUIDAR Early Intervention Parent Training Program for Preschoolers at Risk for Behavioral Disorders: An Innovative Practice for Reducing Disparities in Access to Service.

Researchers report mental health disparities that indicate that children and families with the highest need for services often are less likely to use them. Only a few investigators have focused on service delivery models to address underuse of services. This study examines the Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)/University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) Initiative for the Development of Attention and Readiness (CUIDAR) model of service delivery in reducing disparities in access to and use of services and in decreasing child behavior problems in a community-based study with 169 self-referred, low-income, and predominantly minority families.