We report findings of this replication study, examining the internalizing subscale (SRSS-I4) of the revised version of the Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing behavior (SRSS-IE 9) and the internalizing subscale of the Teacher Report Form (TRF). Using the sample from 13 elementary schools across three U.S. states with…

In this article, we report findings of a psychometric study comparing two screening tools: the Student Risk Screening Scale-Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE) and the Devereaux Student Strengths Assessment-mini (DESSA-mini). Participants included 3,110 kindergarten through fifth-grade elementary students from five schools in one district in…

Behavioral and emotional disorders in childhood can have lasting impacts in areas such as education and future employment, often extending into adulthood. Identifying the potential disorders in children's early grades is beneficial to provide proactive assistance. In this study, we employed a well-validated scale - the Strengths and Difficulties…

This study examined the new self-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-S), SDQ-Kids, in primary school children regarding internal consistency, teacher-child agreement, and validity. Data from 2,655 children in Grades 1 to 3 and their teachers were analyzed. Children completed SDQ-Kids, previously piloted (n = 896),…

In this article, we examined predictive validity of the newly defined "Student Risk Screening Scale--Internalizing and Externalizing" (SRSS-IE 9, with nine items) when used by teachers for the first time, with a sample of 24,535 elementary students from 74 schools in four U.S. geographic regions. Results indicated fall externalizing and…

This study used item response theory (IRT) methods to investigate group differences in responses to the 12-item Student Risk Screening Scale--Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE12) in a sample of 3,837 U.S. elementary school students. Using factor analysis and graded response models from IRT methods, we examined the factor structure and the…

Although there is a wealth of research addressing the association between mental health and school absenteeism, there are calls for a better understanding of how mental health difficulties might predict SAPs (Egger et al., 2003; Finning et al., 2022; Ingul et al., 2019; Wood et al., 2012). The aim of this paper was to create a more nuanced…

Previous research identifies the negative outcomes associated with behavioral and emotional risk (BER) and experiences of trauma in childhood. Studies have shown that elevated BER and experiences of trauma are connected to poor academic performance, as well as other maladaptive behavioral outcomes (Martinez et al., 2014; Perfect et al., 2016; Ray…

We report the results of a convergent validity study examining the externalizing subscale (SRSS-E5, five items) of the adapted Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE 9) with the externalizing subscale of the Teacher Report Form (TRF) with two samples of K-12 students. Results of logistic regression and receiver…

This multiple-manuscript dissertation explored the measurement invariance (MI) testing with multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) approach from different perspectives. Study 1 explored MI from a theoretical perspective by conducting a systematic review study on MI practices in education. The findings of this study indicated…

Social emotional learning (SEL) programs have been found to be effective on multiple outcomes, but few empirical studies were conducted in the Chinese context. The present study aimed to develop a Chinese SEL program for elementary school students, examine its effects on students' social emotional skills and mental health, and explore which groups…

Given the need for a swift, systematic way to identify students with internalizing and externalizing behavior patterns to connect these students with appropriate supports, we present new findings of the Student Risk Screening Scale--Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE). In this article, we examined (a) factor structure of the SRSS-IE and (b)…

Along with increased attention to universal screening for identifying social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) concerns is the need to ensure the psychometric adequacy of tools available. Nearly all extant tests of universal SEB screening validity focus on traditional inferential forms with little to no study of the consequences of actions…

The problem of this study is the increase of challenging behaviors among elementary school students and the limited use of a SEL universal screener as a proactive measure to identify the students who exhibit a heightened level of concern that requires a tier 2 or tier 3 level of intervention. This quantitative study examined the impact of Second…

There is an urgent need to aid in what will be an ongoing educational recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. One avenue for supporting students with and at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (e.g., internalizing and externalizing behaviors) is implementation of tiered systems, which emphasize evidence-based practices to prevent…