26:T499,

This article presents findings of two studies, one conducted with middle school students (n = 500) in a rural setting and a second conducted with middle school students ( n = 528) in an urban setting, of the reliability and validity of the Student Risk Screening Scale (SRSS; Drummond, 1994). Results revealed high internal consistency, test—retest stability, and convergent validity with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997). In addition, short-term predictive validity was established; namely, students with risk statuses of low (n = 422), moderate (n = 51), and high (n = 12) according to the SRSS could best be differentiated by behavioral variables (e.g., ODR, in-school suspensions). Although academic variables could differentiate between students with moderate or high risks and students without (low) risk, these variables did not differentiate between students in the moderate-risk group and students in the high-risk group as did the behavioral variables. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

27:T538,

This study is based on a statewide longitudinal sample of adopted foster youth and explores the relationship between early pre-adoption risk factors and subsequent elevated levels of psychopathology symptomatology. One central goal of the study was to evaluate the impact of pre-adoption stressors (prenatal drug/nicotine exposure, early maltreatment, chaotic foster care history) on the 293 adopted foster children's short- and long-term psychosocial functioning at ages 2, 4, and 8 years post-adoption. An additional objective pertained to measuring how post-adoption attributes (adoptive parents' appraisals of their readiness for this type of adoptive placement and of their parenting style using the HOME scale) contributed a partial mediating influence to the children's functioning. The effects of risk and protective factors were examined through linear regression analyses.The strongest risk factors for the display of behavior problems were sexual abuse, neglect, and having been placed in multiple foster homes. Crucially, lack of parental readiness contributed a substantial increment to the overall models. In addition, longitudinally, the behavior problems remained stable across time.The implications of these findings for the development of services and interventions targeted for adoptive families are discussed.

28:T436,Offers interdisciplinary research, practice, and commentary related to individuals with emotional and behavioral disabilities. Each issue explores critical and diverse topics such as youth violence, functional assessment, school-wide discipline, mental health services, positive behavior supports, and educational strategies. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders is available electronically on SAGE Journals Online at <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/home/ebx">http://journals.sagepub.com/home/ebx</a>. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/pb-assets/cmscontent/ebx/AuthorGuidelines_JEBD_web11-24-1731925082.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: #0f61a1;">Submit to JEBD</a> Submit your manuscript today at <a href="https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/JEBD">https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/JEBD</a>.