Examination of the Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the SRSS-IE

Abstract

Given the need for a swift, systematic way to identify students with internalizing and externalizing behavior patterns to connect students with appropriate supports, we present new findings of the Student Risk Screening Scale–Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE). In this article, we examined (a) factor structure of the SRSS-IE and (b) the extent to which measurement invariance holds across gender, special education status, race, and ethnicity, as well as time point (fall, winter, spring) within each school level (elementary, middle, high). The sample includes 124 schools from four U.S. geographic regions in their first year of implementing the SRSS-IE collected over a 10-year span. Using confirmatory factor analysis procedures accounting for the nesting of students within teachers’ classrooms, we confirmed a two-factor structure (internalizing and externalizing) and determined three items may be removed from the instrument while maintaining adequate model fit, pending replication with schools in later stages of screening implementation. All model comparisons between configural, metric, scalar, and strict models met invariance criteria within a time point. Longitudinal models also met these invariance criteria. We discuss educational implications, limitations, and directions for future research.

Additional Evidence of Predictive Validity of SRSS-IE Scores With Elementary Students

“…Lane and Menzies (2009) expanded the SRSS-IE to include five additional items: (8) emotionally flat; (9) shy, withdrawn; (10) sad, depressed; (11) anxious; and (12) lonely, to assess internalizing behaviors. This version, here referred to as the SRSS-IE 12, is one of the few free-access screening tools with substantial prior research on the technical adequacy of the instrument (Lane et al, 2023).…”

“…In the first Project SCREEN psychometric study, Lane et al (2023) examined factor structure and reliability of the SRSS-IE 12 from a large sample of K-12 students from 87 schools representing four U.S. geographic regions in their first year of implementing the SRSS-IE 12 collected over a 10-year span. They also examined measurement invariance across sex, race, ethnicity, and special education status within each school level (elementary, middle, high) and over time.…”

“…There were eight schools from the West (Arizona = 8), 46 from the Midwest (Kansas = 33, Missouri = 13), 11 from the South (Tennessee = 11), and nine from the Northeast (Pennsylvania = 4, Vermont = 5; see Supplemental Table S2). For more information on this sample, see Lane et al (2023).…”

“…Replication is essential despite the very large, geographically representative sample as all data were gleaned from schools using the SRSS-IE for the first time. It will be important to replicate these analyses when the SRSS-IE is used beyond the initial year of implementation (Lane, Oakes, et al, 2023).…”

“…Yet, <1% of students receive special education services under the emotional disturbance (ED) category according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004; National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). This means most students with and at risk for EBD are served by general educators (Lane et al, 2023). This can be a difficult charge given these students tend to experience strained relationships with others, exhibit limited self-regulation skills, and often struggle academically (e.g., engagement and performance; Bradshaw et al, 2008; Nelson et al, 2004).…”