Katie Eklund

Identifying emotional and behavioral risk among gifted and nongifted children: A multi-gate, multi-informant approach.

The purpose of the current investigation was to compare 1,206 gifted and nongifted elementary students on the identification of emotional and behavioral risk (EBR) as rated by teachers and parents using a multigate, multi-informant approach to assessment. The Parent and Teacher Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2) and the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System were used to assess behavioral functioning as rated by teachers and parents. There were significant differences between the number of gifted and nongifted children demonstrating emotional and behavioral risk, with parents and teachers identifying a higher number of boys and nongifted children as at risk. Among children demonstrating EBR, gifted children demonstrated elevated internalizing behaviors as rated by parents. Gifted students demonstrated higher academic performance regardless of risk level, suggesting higher cognitive abilities may be one of several protective factors that serve to attenuate the development of other social, emotional, or behavioral concerns. Implications for practice and future research needs are discussed.

Measurement equivalence: A non-technical primer on categorical multi-group confirmatory factor analysis in school psychology ☆

Evidence-based interventions (EBIs) have become a central component of school psychology research and practice, but EBIs are dependent upon the availability and use of evidence-based assessments (EBAs) with diverse student populations. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) is an analytical tool that can be used to examine the validity and measurement equivalence/invariance of scores across diverse groups. The objective of this article is to provide a conceptual and procedural overview of categorical MG-CFA, as well as an illustrated example based on data from the Social and Academic Behavior Risk Screener (SABRS) - a tool designed for use in school-based interventions. This article serves as a non-technical primer on the topic of MG-CFA with ordinal (rating scale) data and does so through the framework of examining equivalence of measures used for EBIs within multi-tiered models - an understudied topic. To go along with the illustrated example, we have provided supplementary files that include sample data, Mplus input code, and an annotated guide for understanding the input code (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2016.11.002). Data needed to reproduce analyses in this article are available as supplemental materials (online only) in the Appendix of this article.

Concurrent validity and sensitivity to change of Direct Behavior Rating Single-Item Scales (DBR-SIS) within an elementary sample.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concurrent validity, sensitivity to change, and teacher acceptability of Direct Behavior Rating single-item scales (DBR-SIS), a brief progress monitoring measure designed to assess student behavioral change in response to intervention. Twenty-four elementary teacher–student dyads implemented a daily report card intervention to promote positive student behavior during prespecified classroom activities. During both baseline and intervention, teachers completed DBR-SIS ratings of 2 target behaviors (i.e., Academic Engagement, Disruptive Behavior) whereas research assistants collected systematic direct observation (SDO) data in relation to the same behaviors. Five change metrics (i.e., absolute change, percent of change from baseline, improvement rate difference, Tau-U, and standardized mean difference; Gresham, 2005) were calculated for both DBR-SIS and SDO data, yielding estimates of the change in student behavior in response to intervention. Mean DBR-SIS scores were predominantly moderately to highly correlated with SDO data within both baseline and intervention, demonstrating evidence of the former’s concurrent validity. DBR-SIS change metrics were also significantly correlated with SDO change metrics for both Disruptive Behavior and Academic Engagement, yielding evidence of the former’s sensitivity to change. In addition, teacher Usage Rating Profile-Assessment (URP-A) ratings indicated they found DBR-SIS to be acceptable and usable. Implications for practice, study limitations, and areas of future research are discussed.

Authoritative School Climate, Number of Parents at Home, and Academic Achievement

School climate is widely recognized as an important factor in promoting student academic achievement. The current study investigated the hypothesis that a demanding and supportive school climate, based on authoritative school climate theory, would serve as a protective factor for students living with 1 or no parents at home. Using a statewide sample of 56,508 middle school students from 415 public schools in 1 state, results indicated that student perceptions of disciplinary structure, academic demandingness, and student support all had positive associations with student self-reported grade point average (GPA). In addition, findings showed that academic expectations and student support were more highly associated with GPA for students not living with any parent. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Promoting Safe Schools for All Students

Despite some improvement in the safety of America’s schools in the past decade, there are still many concerns. There are no clear standards for assessing threats such as violence, theft, bullying, intimidation, and possible harm. School administrators are charged with keeping their students safe. Studies have recognized the importance of a positive school climate as a foundation for school safety. Creating a positive school climate is a multitiered approach. School personnel can gain expertise in recognizing risk factors, identifying warning signs, and responding to critical incidents if necessary. Research has identified evidence-based programs designed to prevent violence and behaviors such as bullying and teen dating violence. This chapter will provide information on assessing and preventing school violence including research on the effectiveness of some of the prevention/intervention programs.

Generalizability of universal screening measures for behavioral and emotional risk

Abstract Data derived from universal screening procedures are increasingly utilized by schools to identify and provide additional support to students at risk for behavioral and emotional concerns. As screening has the potential to be resource intensive, effort has been placed on the development of efficient screening procedures, including brief behavior rating scales (BBRS). This study utilized classical test theory and generalizability theory to examine the extent to which differences among students, raters, occasions, and screening measures affect the amount of variance in data derived from universal screening procedures. Teacher pairs from three middle school classrooms completed two BBRS during fall and spring for each student in their classrooms. Correlation coefficients examining interrater reliability, test–retest reliability, and convergent validity were generally strong. Generalizability analyses indicated that the majority of variance in teacher ratings was attributable to student differences across all score comparisons, but differences between teacher ratings for particular students accounted for relatively large percentages of error variance among student behavior ratings. Although decision studies suggested that increasing the number of screening occasions resulted in more generalizable data, they also demonstrated that increasing the number of raters not only resulted in more generalizable data but also procedures that are more efficient.

A systematic review of trauma screening measures for children and adolescents.

Traumatized youth are at an increased risk of a host of negative academic and psychoeducational outcomes. Screening and identification of students who experience potentially traumatic events may help schools provide support to at-risk students. In light of this, the current study examines the availability and use of trauma screening measures to detect early indicators of risk among youth in schools. A systematic review was conducted to identify measures available to screen children and youth for trauma exposure and/or symptoms, as well as the associated psychometric properties to support each instrument’s applied use in schools. Eighteen measures met inclusion criteria, which consisted primarily of student self-report rating scales and clinical interviews. While many instruments measure the symptomology or exposure to trauma among children and youth, very little psychometric evidence was available to support the use of these measures in schools. Additional research is needed to endorse and expand the use of trauma screening measures in schools.

Examining SAEBRS Technical Adequacy and the Moderating Influence of Criterion Type on Cut Score Performance

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the internal consistency reliability, validity, and diagnostic accuracy of Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener–Teacher Rating Scale (SAEBRS) scores. Teachers (n = 68) universally screened 1,242 elementary students using two measures: the SAEBRS and the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS). Multilevel analyses indicated that although SAEBRS scores were internally consistent at the overall level, reliability suffered for certain SAEBRS scores at the between-group (classroom) level. Multilevel correlational analyses revealed moderate-to-large and statistically significant relations between SAEBRS and BESS scores at the overall, between-group, and within-group levels. Follow-up Fisher’s z tests revealed a pattern of convergent and discriminant relations in accordance with theory-driven expectations. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses supported the diagnostic accuracy of each SAEBRS scale. Further examination of findings relative to prior research suggested SAEBRS diagnostic accuracy is moderated by the type of criterion measure under consideration.

Examining the Role of School Resource Officers on School Safety and Crisis Response Teams

ABSTRACT School resource officers (SROs) are being increasingly employed in schools to respond to incidents of school violence and to help address safety concerns among students and staff. While previous research on school safety and crisis teams has examined the role of school mental health professionals’ and administrators, fewer studies have evaluated the role of the SRO. The current study examined differences between SROs, school administrators, and school mental health professionals (i.e., school psychologists, school counselors, social workers) regarding experiences with crisis events, as well as perceived effectiveness of crisis prevention and response strategies. The most common crisis events across professionals included student assaults, drug offenses, and mandated child abuse and neglect reporting. While SROs and school mental health professionals had similar ratings of school safety strategies, school administrators had less effective appraisals of crisis response plans and crisis postvention activities. Implications for practice and future directions for research are reviewed.

Evidence for the interpretation of Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS) scores: An argument-based approach to screener validation

In accordance with an argument-based approach to validation, the purpose of the current study was to yield evidence relating to Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS) score interpretation. Bifactor item response theory analyses were performed to examine SAEBRS item functioning. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to simultaneously evaluate intra- and inter-scale relationships, expressed through (a) a measurement model specifying a bifactor structure to SAEBRS items, and (b) a structural model specifying convergent and discriminant relations with an outcome measure (i.e., Behavioral and Emotional Screening System [BESS]). Finally, hierarchical omega coefficients were calculated in evaluating the model-based internal reliability of each SAEBRS scale. IRT analyses supported the adequate fit of the bifactor model, indicating items adequately discriminated moderate and high-risk students. SEM results further supported the fit of the latent bifactor measurement model, yielding superior fit relative to alternative models (i.e., unidimensional and correlated factors). SEM analyses also indicated the latent SAEBRS-Total Behavior factor was a statistically significant predictor of all BESS subscales, the SAEBRS-Academic Behavior predicted BESS Adaptive Skills subscales, and the SAEBRS-Emotional Behavior predicted the BESS Internalizing Problems subscale. Hierarchical omega coefficients indicated the SAEBRS-Total Behavior factor was associated with adequate reliability. In contrast, after accounting for the total scale, each of the SAEBRS subscales was associated with somewhat limited reliability, suggesting variability in these scores is largely driven by the Total Behavior scale. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.