Direct observation of classroom behavior in young children enriches our understanding of their behavior in its natural context, informing both assessment and intervention strategies to foster supportive learning environments. However, a notable gap in the literature concerning effective direct observation tools specifically designed for this…

The Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Teacher Form (BESS) is a universal screening measure designed to identify social, emotional, and behavioral risks in students. A series of confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted to examine the extent to which the…

Universal mental health screening is a proactive approach to identify students who may benefit from prevention or early intervention services. Despite known benefits, few schools are engaging in screening efforts, and it is critical to examine factors that may impede or enhance implementation. Following implementation of a universal screening…

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…

Deep neural network (DNN) has been widely used in various artificial intelligence applications and is, unsurprisingly, penetrating the field of school psychology. In the school environment, universal screening is used by teachers to identify children's emotional and behavioral risk (EBR) within a screener. EBR can be used to predict possible…

Early adolescence represents a critical developmental period for the identification, prevention, and early intervention of mental health concerns. The Early Identification System--Student Report (EIS-SR) was developed as a user-friendly, accessible, and cost-efficient method for identifying youth at risk for mental health concerns. The present…

As many as 1 in 5 youth in the United States experience social, emotional, and behavioral problems. However, many students with mental health concerns are unidentified and do not receive adequate care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factor structure, measurement invariance, and the concurrent and predictive validity of the Early…

Universal screening continues to be a missed opportunity for addressing mental health in schools. The current study compared three separate self-report screening tools: the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Third Edition: Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BASC-3 BESS), Youth Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Screener (YIEPS),…

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…

Universal screening of social-emotional deficits in preschool children is a promising avenue for detecting children in need of early intervention. Due to the enormity of this task, it is vital that the instruments used in universal screening be brief, inexpensive, and capable of accurately measuring social-emotional development. The Ages and…

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…

School-based universal screening for behavioral and emotional risk can serve as a foundation for effective multi-tiered service delivery systems. The current study examines the measurement and structure of one such universal screener, the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Student Form (BESS SF). Four models were investigated including a…

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…

In this pilot study, we conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of a school-based engagement intervention on parent adherence to recommendations for children screened for social, emotional, behavioral, and adaptive problems at kindergarten entry. The aims were to evaluate the impact of an enhanced feedback session on…

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…