Examining the stability of social, emotional, and behavioral risk status: Implications for screening frequency

Responsive service delivery frameworks rely on the use of screening approaches to identify students in need of support and to guide subsequent assessment and intervention efforts. However, limited empirical investigations have been directed to informing how often screening should occur for social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties in school settings. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the stability of risk status on 3 different screening instruments across 3 administrations across the course of a school year. A total of 1,594 students had complete screening data across 3 time points, corresponding to a total of 187 teachers from 22 different public schools located within the northeastern and midwestern United States. Across measures, we examined patterns of risk across time points and investigated the utility of (a) different screening schedules (fall, winter, and spring) and (b) borderline screening when conducting multiple screenings per year. Results indicated that a large proportion of students exhibited stable risk patterns across time points and suggested that borderline screening may be a viable alternative for schools with limited resources. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.