Initial Evidence for the Reliability and Validity of the Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors at the Middle School Level

Abstract

We reported findings of an exploratory validation study of a revised universal screening instrument: the Student Risk Screening Scale–Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE) for use with middle school students. Tested initially for use with elementary-age students, the SRSS-IE was adapted to include seven additional items reflecting characteristics of internalizing behaviors. The initial seven items developed by Drummond (1994) were retained, yielding a modified instrument containing 14 items (SRSS-IE14) rated by teachers on the original 4-point, Likert-type scale. First, we examined reliability of SRSS-IE14 scores by analyzing item-level data, internal consistency estimates, and factor structure with a sample of 937 middle school students. Results of a data analytic plan grounded in Classical Test Theory supported retention of five of the new seven items, producing the SRSS-IE12. Second, we established convergent validity of the SRSS-IE12 with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997), a validated screening tool. We offered recommendations for addressing the limitations of this study in future research.