Effective Schoolwide Screening to Identify Students At Risk for Social and Behavioral Problems

Abstract

Many schools are developing a continuum of services and supports for students who may be struggling in school, whether through a response to intervention (RTI) model or a schoolwide positive behavior supports (SWPBS) model. In this context, it is important to keep in mind how inextricably linked academic success is with social and behavioral competence. In one study, DiPerna and Elliott (1999) found five predictor variables concerning student skills or behaviors related to overall success in school. These are referred to as academic enablers and include (a) prior achievement, (b) interpersonal skills, (c) study skills, (d) motivation, and (e) engagement. Students who have positively developed skills in all these areas are the best prepared for school success. Inversely, those who have challenges in any of these areas often struggle in school. In further studies on the role of these academic enablers in school performance, Ray and Elliott (2006) confirmed that both self-concept and social skills are directly related to academic achievement. In another recent study, general education students consistently rated higher on these factors than students who were identified as academically and/or behaviorally at risk, or students with learning disabilities (Elliott, DiPerna, Mroch, & Lang, 2004). These results suggest that schools will not be effective if they focus solely on identifying and responding to student concerns in one area only, whether it is academic or social/ behavioral. Instead, schools must recognize that student success in school is based on the interaction of all of these factors. In this context, the use of a proactive, systematic process for identifying student need across both academic and social/ behavioral areas allows schools to provide needed support and skill development across these areas before a student develops a more serious or prolonged problem that requires more intensive and formalized supports (Elliott, Huai, & Roach, 2007; Hawken, Vincent, & Schumann, 2008).