Measuring Teachers’ Perceptions of Student Behavior Using the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders in Middle School Students

Abstract

Universal screening serves to identify students at risk for emotional and behavioral difficulties while their behavior is still amenable to treatment. However, there are few universal screeners available for middle school students who may be at heightened risk for developing emotional and behavioral difficulties due to major academic and social challenges. The Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD), often considered the gold standard for behavior screeners, was recently validated for use in middle schools. However, there is little research on the reliability and validity of the SSBD for screening middle school students and the differences among teachers of different academic subjects. The purpose of this study was to extend the previous research validating the SSBD assessing its technical adequacy and sensitivity in middle school students among teachers of different academic subjects. Results indicated that the SSBD provided reliable and valid evidence for identifying at-risk middle school students. This study provided evidence that the SSBD identified internalizing and externalizing students with a similar degree of accuracy.