This article focuses on the psychometric properties and characteristics of the Assessing School Settings: Interactions of Students and Teachers (ASSIST), an observational assessment administered by trained external observers of teacher practices, classroom context, and student behaviors at the classroom level. Study 1 examines variability,…

The use of a screening tool for school-wide screening of internalizing symptoms is an important strategy for early identification and prevention of more serious and impairing emotional and behavioral health problems in adolescents. However, threshold cut-off scores determined for screening tools may not be suitable for all populations. Using a…

Although algebra often functions as a gatekeeper to higher-level mathematics courses and higher education admissions, few quality measures exist for assessing conceptual understanding. This study explored the technical adequacy of three procedural and two conceptual algebra screening measures. We administered three rounds of assessments throughout…

Schools are an essential setting for mental health supports and services for students. To support student well-being, schools engage in universal mental health screening to identify students in need of support and to provide surveillance data for district-wide or state-wide policy changes. Mental health data have been collected via anonymous and…

Implementation of social and emotional learning (SEL) programs and practices is becoming increasingly prevalent in Pre-K through Grade 12 educational settings. Research provides robust evidence to support positive outcomes associated with SEL implementation; however, we also know that implementation can be impacted by a variety of different…

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the parent-report short form of the Positive Family Support Strengths and Needs Assessment (PFS-SaNA). The PFS-SaNA is designed to reduce the time and burden of collaborative mental health screening. Parents of 245 students in the U.S. Northwest completed the screener at…

Educators commonly use school climate survey scores to inform and evaluate interventions for equitably improving learning and reducing educational disparities. Unfortunately, validity evidence to support these (and other) score uses often falls short. In response, Whitehouse et al. proposed a collaborative, two-part validity testing framework for…

Classroom management (CM) practices have a well-established, intuitive, and empirical connection with student academic, social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes. CM, defined as educator practices used to create supportive classroom environments, may be the implementation factor that is most impactful of the universal Tier I supports. Recognizing…

When students require support to improve outcomes in a variety of domains, educators provide youth with school-based intervention. When educators require support to improve their professional practice, school leaders and support personnel (e.g., school psychologists) provide teachers with professional development (PD), consultation, and coaching.…

A line of research has supported the development and validation of Direct Behavior Rating--Single Item Scales (DBR-SIS) for use in progress monitoring. Yet, this research was largely conducted within the general education setting with typically developing children. It is unknown whether the tool may be defensibly used with students exhibiting more…

Proficiency with mathematics requires an understanding of mathematical language. Students are required to make sense of both spoken and written mathematical terms. An essential component of mathematical language involves the understanding of the vocabulary of mathematics in which students connect vocabulary terms to mathematical concepts or…

The original Social Emotional Distress Survey--Secondary (SEDS-S) assesses adolescents' past month's experiences of psychological distress. Given the continued need for and use of brief measures of student social-emotional distress, this study examined a five-item version (SEDS-S-Brief) to evaluate its use for surveillance of adolescents' wellness…

Assessment of language skills for upper elementary and middle schoolers is important due to the strong link between language and reading comprehension. Yet, currently few practical, reliable, valid, and instructionally informative assessments of language exist. This study provides validation evidence for Monster, P.I., which is a gamified,…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) have difficulty forming and maintaining high-quality relationships with their teachers, yet they have the most to gain from positive relationships. The majority of studies examining teacher-student relationships have been correlational, focused on preschool and elementary-aged children, and…

In this study, we examined the structural validity of the Secondary Transition Fidelity Assessment (STFA), a measure of secondary schools' use of programs and practices demonstrated by research to lead to meaningful college and career outcomes for all students, including students at risk for or with disabilities, and students from diverse…