During a school day, children make several transitions between activities, which can take away from instructional time and result in challenging behaviors. This study investigates the impact positive engagement and behavioral supports have on children's behavior while transitioning. Participants (N = 40; 77.5% Male; 92.5% Hispanic) were enrolled…

We examined the predictive utility of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BASC-2-BESS) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in identifying students with a mental disorder. Data were collected in a two-stage study over 34 months with kindergarten-12th grade (K-12) students (aged…

Systematic direct observations (SDOs) and behavior rating scales are integral to multimethod behavioral assessment approaches. The present study investigated the convergent validity of the Behavior Observation of Students in Schools (BOSS) form, a widely utilized SDO system, with the most frequently used teacher rating scales in schools, the…

Systematic direct observations (SDOs) and behavior rating scales are integral to multimethod behavioral assessment approaches. The present study investigated the convergent validity of the Behavior Observation of Students in Schools (BOSS) form, a widely utilized SDO system, with the most frequently used teacher rating scales in schools, the…

This study examined the effects of adjusting the difficulty level of instructional materials on the on-task time and comprehension of four students with emotional and behavioral disorders. All participants previously exhibited low rates of on-task behavior during reading assignments. Students were presented with reading materials at their…

Epidemiologic research suggests a gap between prevalence estimates of students with emotional or behavioral problems and the actual number of students identified under the federal category of emotional disturbance (ED). To better understand issues related to the identification gap, we investigated the academic and behavioral functioning,…

School-based universal screening for behavioral/emotional risk is a necessary first step in the identification of students who might need services within a behavioral response to intervention model. When choosing among the available screening measures, psychometric information such as reliability and validity of the scores is critical to inform…

We report findings of a psychometric study comparing scores from two screening tools: "Student Risk Screening Scale--Internalizing and Externalizing" (SRSS-IE, an adapted version of the Student Risk Screening Scale) and "Behavior Assessment System for Children--Second Edition, Behavioral and Emotional Screening System" (BASC-2…

Developing the ability to summarize written text is a critical literacy skill set for adolescent students with disabilities. Four female students at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders in a U.S. juvenile justice facility were taught the TRAP+IDEAS mnemonic using the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instructional approach to…

Multi-informant reports of student emotional and behavioral problems determine eligibility for school-based services; however, multiple informants often yield inconsistent reports of child concerns. Informant discrepancies are thought to reflect either measurement error or meaningful differences (e.g., situational variation). It is important to…

Millions of students with mental health concerns attend school each day. It is unknown how many of those students experience psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES); however, quality of life, academic, and mental health outcomes for students experiencing PNES can be bleak. Currently, no authors have addressed potential school nurse interventions…

Given the high prevalence of Tier 2 behavioral intervention use and calls to examine mediation and moderation effects on treatment for children, this study tested the mediation effect of the daily progress report and moderation effects of coach-student, teacher-student, and student-teacher relationships and their interactions for 95 elementary…

Students with elevated levels of risk require targeted Tier 2 behavioral interventions that are efficient and effective to prevent the need for more intensive, special education supports. Although Tier 2 is a critical component of multi-tiered systems of support, a paucity of research exists regarding how best to provide evidence-based Tier 2…

Despite schools increasingly adopting multitiered systems of support (MTSS) for prevention and intervention of mental health concerns, many are slow to adopt universal mental health screening (UMHS), a core MTSS feature, due to concerns about their limited capacity to meet the needs of all identified. In this study, we examined differences in the…

There is a priority for schools to address students' social and emotional needs as is done for academic learning. Tiered models of prevention provide a framework for teaching social skills and behavioral expectations, as well as academics, with positive, proactive, evidence-based practices. Central to responding to students' needs is accurate…