Externalizing problems are common in children ages 6-14, can have lifelong consequences, and may pose a particular risk when combined with other risk factors and symptoms (like depression and anxiety). Schools are uniquely positioned to assess and address these types of behavioral health concerns, but many school-based assessments do not focus on…

The Walker/Severson Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders measure was revised for use with preschool children. The revision consists of three hierarchical stages of increasingly time-consuming methodologies: (1) teacher rankings, (2) teacher ratings, and (3) direct behavioral observations. Testing with 121 children demonstrated significant…

Data are reported on the long-term (6-month) test-retest reliability of the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS), which is a strength-based assessment instrument. Participants included 95 typical elementary students and 26 children at risk of having or having emotional or behavioral disorders. Moderate to high test-retest correlations were…

This article discusses evidence for functional behavioral assessment (FBA) procedures in terms of the meaning and interpretation of different forms of reliability and validity in FBA. It concludes that additional research needs to be conducted with various target behaviors across different settings to support the continued use of FBA. (Contains…

A functional screening and identification system for behavior problems among preschool children, ages 3 through 5, was assessed with 2,853 children from regular and special education preschool and kindergarten classrooms in 8 states. The Early Screening Project procedure was found to provide reliable, accurate, and cost-effective screening. (SW)

The Behavior Evaluation Scale-2 was designed to identify students in grades K-12 with behavior disorders/emotional disturbance. It measures five dimensions: learning problems, interpersonal difficulties, inappropriate behavior, unhappiness/depression, and physical symptoms/fears. This paper describes the instrument's administration, summation of…

The Revised Behavior Problem Checklist is used to screen for behavior disorders in K-12 students, develop clinical diagnoses, classify juvenile offenders, and evaluate psychological and pharmacological interventions. The checklist addresses conduct disorder, socialized aggression, attention problems-immaturity, and anxiety-withdrawal. This paper…

Two studies probe validation, replication, and normative questions regarding the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD) procedure. The first included teachers from 15 elementary schools, while the second drew from 2 school districts. Similar results from both studies supported SSBD validity. The second study also supported reliability…

Twenty-four studies involving functional assessment of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) or those at risk for E/BD are reviewed in three main areas: (1) characteristics of participants; (2) types of functional assessment procedures and instruments employed; and (3) the reliability and validity of these instruments and…

Internal consistency and construct and criterion-related validity of the Conners Teacher Rating Scale were studied with 540 students (ages 5-10), with emphasis on its utility as a measure of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and other disruptive behavior disorders. Internal consistency of factors ranged from .87 to .94. Convergent validity…

Prompted by the increased use of behavior rating instruments in educational environments and evidence of confusion over the interpretation of labels designating behavior clusters, the present two-phase study analyzed 410 specific items contained in seven behavior rating instruments and investigated whether these items could be intuitively sorted…

Two measures of community-based social behavior for adolescents and young adults with emotional and behavioral disorders, the male and female forms of the Test of Community-Based Social Skill Knowledge and the Scale of Community-Based Social Skill Performance, were examined. Results found the measures yielded acceptable reliabilities and exhibited…

Accurate screening of disruptive behavior disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder are a priority in elementary schools and child guidance clinics but they can be challenging because of symptom overlap with other disorders. The use of behavioral rating scales for assessing children's…