Screening for Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Problems at Kindergarten Entry: The Utility of Two Teacher Rating Scales

Abstract

We examined (a) the utility of teacher ratings on the Strengths and Difficulties ) and BASC-2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS; Kamphaus and Reynolds in Behavior assessment system for children-second edition: behavioral and emotional screening system. Pearson, Bloomington, 2007), completed at kindergarten entry, in identifying risk status as defined by important criterion variables (teacher ratings of impairment, daily behavioral performance, and quarterly grades in kindergarten and first grade), and (b) the incremental validity of scores on each of these rating scales in predicting criterion variables beyond that predicted by the school district's academic screening tool. The participants were 248 kindergarten students (91 % response rate) from one school district. Receiver operating characteristic analyses and area under the curve values indicate that both measures have moderate to high utility (AUCs C .78) in identifying children demonstrating at-risk academic performance, problematic classroom behavior, and impairment in social and emotional functioning. Regression analyses indicate that both measures account for incremental variance (between 6.69 and 45.84 %) in kindergarten outcomes beyond that accounted for by the school district's academic screening tool. The BESS was a slightly stronger predictor of academic outcomes, and the SDQ was a slightly stronger predictor of peer outcomes. Implications for selecting a teacher measure for universal screening of social, emotional, and behavioral problems at kindergarten entry are discussed.

The utility of the Behavior Assessment System for Children‐2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in predicting mental disorders in the Project to Learn About Youth‐Mental Health

“…Similarly, in a larger elementary school sample ( N = 496), total scores had a sensitivity of 68.4% and specificity of 77.1% in identifying students referred to the office one or more times by midyear (King et al, 2012). A study examining predictive validity with kindergarten students ( N = 248) found that total scores had moderate to high utility (AUCs = 0.84 to 0.90) in predicting daily student behavior across the year, grades in kindergarten and 1st grade, and impairment (Owens et al, 2016), with positive predictive values ranging from 0.32 to 0.71 across outcomes. This study directly compared the SDQ to the BASC‐2‐BESS and found them both to be significant predictors of all outcomes, and both demonstrated incremental predictive validity beyond the prediction of kindergarten‐entry literacy scores.…”

“…The teacher‐report SDQ has been shown to have predictive validity for school‐related outcomes. For example, in a sample of kindergarten children ( N = 248), the teacher‐report SDQ total score had moderate to high utility (area under the curve (AUCs) = 0.78–0.93) in predicting daily student behavior across the year, grades in kindergarten and 1st grade, and impairment (Owens et al, 2016), with positive predictive values ranging from 0.40 to 0.71. This study did not assess the predictive utility of the impact supplement scores (i.e., impairment items).…”

Exploring teacher adoption, adaptation, and implementation of a daily report card intervention when using the daily report card online platform

“…This measure was completed prior to the start of the DRC intervention, monthly during intervention, and in the spring. The teacher version of this measure has acceptable internal reliability, high test-retest correlation, and predictive utility in identifying problems in elementary school students (Goodman, 2001;Owens et al, 2016). SDQ scores are used in Aim 4.…”

Evaluating the Impact of Online Professional Development on Teachers’ Use of a Targeted Behavioral Classroom Intervention

“…Students were eligible to participate if they demonstrated at-risk or elevated levels of problems on the hyperactivity/inattention subscale, the conduct and behavior problems subscale, or the total score of the teacher-rated Strengths and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, Ford, T., Simmons, H., Gatward, R., & Meltzer, 2000). These subscales were chosen based on brevity, public availability, and moderate to strong predictive validity (AUCs > 0.75) of other indicators of school impairment (e.g., in class behavior, grades; Owens, Holdaway et al, 2016). Teachers were instructed not to refer students with previously identified intellectual disabilities, severe autism spectrum disorders, or active psychotic features.…”