Journal of Emotional and Behavioral
Disorders
21(2) 97–115
© Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2011
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DOI: 10.1177/1063426611407339
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Teachers and administrators are faced with a number of
challenges each year. Some challenges provide meaningful
differentiated instruction to improve the academic perfor-
mance of all students (No Child Left Behind Act [NCLB] of
2001, 2002), offering inclusive educational experiences for
students with exceptionalities as appropriate (Individuals
With Disabilities Education Improvement Act [IDEA],
2004), and establishing a safe and drug-free environment
(Satcher, 2001). Each charge is highly important and, in
some instances, difficult to achieve—particularly when
attending to issues of school safety.
Clearly the consequences of antisocial behavior in our
schools are far reaching, impacting students, teachers, and
the surrounding community as a whole. Antisocial behavior
includes a host of undesirable behaviors constituting persis-
tent violations of social norms such as verbal and physical
aggression, noncompliance, as well as coercion (Kazdin,
1985). Not surprisingly, antisocial behavior is a core char-
acteristic of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), a
general category of behavioral challenges that includes
externalizing as well as internalizing behavior patterns
(Kauffman & Brigham, 2009; Moffit, 1993; Stouthamer-
Loeber & Loeber, 2002; Walker, Ramsey, & Gresham, 2004).
The prevalence of EBD is substantial. Between 2% and
20% of school-age children and youth are estimated to evi-
dence such characteristic behavior, with more conservative
estimates suggesting 6% (Kauffman & Brigham, 2009). In
the absence of effective intervention efforts, students with
EBD experience a number of short- and long-term negative
consequences, including strained social relationships, aca-
demic underachievement, school failure, unemployment,
criminality, and continued mental health concerns (Wagner,
Kutash, Duchnowski, Epstein, & Sumi, 2005; Wagner,
Newman, Cameto, Levine, & Garza, 2006).
While some educators may contend the issue of EBD is
a concern to be addressed by the special education commu-
nity, this is simply not the case (Lane, Oakes, & Menzies,
2010). In fact, less than 1% of students go on to qualify for
special education services under the category of emotionally
disturbed (ED) as defined in the Individuals With
Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004). The
vast majority of students with EBD will spend their K-12
years in the general education setting, with general education
407339EB
X XX X 10.1177/1063426611407339Lane et al.Journal of Emotional
and Behavioral Disorders
© Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2010
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1
Vanderbilt, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
2
Georgia State University, Georgia, USA
3
Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA
Corresponding Author:
Kathleen Lynne Lane, Box 228, Vanderbilt University, Nashville,
TN 37203-5721, USA.
Email: Kathleen.lane@vanderbilt.edu
Additional Evidence for the Reliability
and Validity of the Student Risk
Screening Scale at the High School
Level: A Replication and Extension
Kathleen Lynne Lane
1
, Wendy P. Oakes
1
, Robin Parks Ennis
2
,
Meredith Lucille Cox
1
, Christopher Schatschneider
3
, and Warren Lambert
1
Abstract
This study reports findings from a validation study of the Student Risk Screening Scale for use with 9th- through 12th-grade
students (N = 1854) attending a rural fringe school. Results indicated high internal consistency, test-retest stability, and
inter-rater reliability. Predictive validity was established across two academic years, with Spring Student Risk Screening
Scale (SRSS) scores differentiating students with low-, moderate-, and high-risk status on office discipline referrals, grade
point averages, and course failures during the following academic year. Teacher ratings evaluating students’ performance
later in the instructional day were more predictive than teacher ratings evaluating students’ performance earlier in
the instructional day. Educational implications, limitations, and future research directions are presented.
Keywords
systematic screening, positive behavior interventions and support, at-risk, high school