Psychosocial competencies; such as prosocial behaviors, compliance with authority, attention regulation, independence, and emotional regulation; play a crucial role in child development. Higher levels of these competencies in childhood are linked to fewer behavior problems, while deficits in these competencies can predict future problem behaviors.…

Prosocial behaviors (e.g., sharing, helping) are important for adolescents' academic and social-emotional wellbeing and can be predicted by students' adoption of prosocial goals. Due to the recent uptick in experiences with learning online for adolescents, understanding what prosocial behaviors look like for students within this context, as well…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; APA, 2013) by deficits in social communication and the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests (RRBIs). Despite the mandatory requirement of both categories of impairment for a diagnosis of ASD, research…

This study was an initial psychometric investigation of the Universal Behavior Screener (UBS), a nine-item screening measure developed by psychologists within the Hawai'i Department of Education (HIDOE) to identify elementary school youth at risk for social, emotional, and behavioral concerns. Data from nine teachers reporting on 230 students at…

The current study involved the development, scaling, and validation of a new, brief, strength-based measure of children's ecological support, as rated by their parents. The scaling and validation of the Child and Youth Ecological Assets Scale--Parent Form (C-YEAS-P) took place through two studies. The first study involved 500 parents who were…

College students face an increased risk of sexual violence victimization and perpetration compared to the general population. Although sexual violence experiences within this population have received substantial attention by researchers, studies typically focus on male perpetrators and female victims. Although a number of measures have been…

Background: Schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based framework for implementing a continuum of behavior support practices in schools to improve student outcomes. Research suggests that students with extensive support needs (ESN) may not have access to the complete continuum of behavioral supports within…

Aberrant behavior refers to any type of unusual behavior that would not be expected under normal circumstances. In educational and psychological testing, such behaviors have the potential to severely bias the aberrant examinee's test score while also jeopardizing the test scores of countless others. It is therefore crucial that aberrant examinees…

Research and interest in trauma-informed pedagogy have grown substantially. Trauma-informed pedagogy includes knowledge of trauma symptoms, associated behaviors, and environmental and instructional trauma-informed strategies. Various scales measure attitudes and experiences with trauma-informed practices; however, the literature suggests a lack of…

This study focuses on creating a reliable and valid instrument to measure high school students' perceptions of academic challenge. The research is divided into four phases: qualitative analysis, item development, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and validation. Initial data from college students' retrospective views and high school students'…

This study aimed to provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the "Systems Coaching Survey (SCS)." Systems coaching is an approach to building capacity among groups of educators to drive educational reform efforts by employing seven interdependent sets of skills (interpersonal communication, data-based problem solving, team…

Most social communication tests used to measure change in young children with autism spectrum disorder have not undergone rigorous psychometric evaluation. Notably, and most relevant to the early intervention literature, there is little information on the sensitivity of these measures to change over time, despite their frequent use. Further, most…

The purpose of this study is to further enhance the existing reliability and validity evidence related to the School Implementation Scale (SIS) and its use for evaluating the implementation of different integrated academic and behavior tiered Response-To-Intervention (RTI) models. Previous methodology conducted for validation of the instrument has…

Hispanic-American youth have been identified as a high-risk group for developing behavioral and emotional difficulties. Currently, there exist few behavioral and emotional screening measures targeting young children, with even fewer accessible to the Spanish speaking populations in the U.S. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether…

There are many positive effects that family, school, and community partnerships (FSP) have on student achievement, behavior, and social-emotional development (Desforges & Abouchaar, 2003; Epstein, 1994, 2011; Graham, 2011; Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Jeynes, 2005, 2007; Ulugag, 2008). Due to the many benefits FSP have on student educational…