Screening for Intensive Intervention Needs in Secondary Schools

Abstract

In this article, we provided descriptive and methodological illustrations of how to conduct systematic behavior screenings at the middle and high school levels to detect students with intensive intervention needs using one systematic screening tool: the Student Risk Screening Scale. We discussed the importance of systematic screening and presented data from secondary schools conducting systematic screenings to illustrate the proportion of students with these intensive needs. Results suggested 5.49% of the more than 10,000 students placed into the high-risk category, with results varying across states and school levels (middle vs. high school). Then, we offered recommendations for using systematic screening data to address the needs of middle- and high-school students including the use of research-based, intensive supports within tiered systems of support. We discussed challenges of conducting screenings in secondary school settings and addressed limitations and future directions for subsequent inquiry.

Emotional and Behavioral Risk Configurations, Students With Disabilities, and Perceptions of the Middle School Ecology

“…Two critical but somewhat elusive issues for special education involve the identification of students’ intervention needs early in the developmental process and clarification of what works for whom (Conroy, 2016; Ludlow, 2014; Maggin et al, 2016). Considerable progress has been made with regard to the development of screening instruments to identify middle school students who experience adjustment difficulties in the academic, behavioral, and social domains (Lane et al, 2016, 2018). Although these approaches center on a variable-oriented framework, they could easily be adapted to include or be complemented by a person-oriented approach.…”

“…In addition, middle school students with disabilities report elevated levels of social stress, a lack of support from peers, and a greater likelihood of social isolation and involvement in bullying both as a victim and as a perpetrator (Chen, Hamm, Farmer, Lambert, & Mehtaji, 2015; Evans & Eder, 1993; Rose & Gage, 2017). Similarly, middle school students with disabilities experience a range of behavior problems (Lane, Oakes, Lusk, Cantwell, & Schatschneider, 2016; Sullivan et al, 2015) and have elevated and increasing rates of chronic truancy compared with students without disabilities (Chen, Culhane, Metraux, Park, & Venable, 2016). These patterns suggest a need to further research subtypes of middle school students with disabilities who experience a variety of academic, social, and behavioral challenges.…”

“…The concept of MTSS has emerged with efforts to provide services to meet the needs of all students in general education settings and involves distinct tiers that represent different levels of intensity in instruction and supports (Sailor, 2015). Generally, there are three tiers with Tier 1 providing universal supports to benefit all students, Tier 2 involving selected supports to enhance the adaptation of students with elevated risk whose needs are not adequately met with universal approaches, and Tier 3 centering on targeted strategies that are individualized to support students who experience significant difficulties and who are not responsive to universal and selected interventions (Lane et al, 2016; Sutherland, Farmer, Kunemund, & Sterrett, 2018).…”

“…Because the focus is often on intervention intensity and not potential factors that contribute to a student’s adaptation, this approach does not necessarily result in the student receiving the supports that best align with a given context and the developmental needs of the student (Farmer, Sutherland, et al, 2016). Frequent, comprehensive screening that bridges the academic, behavioral, and social features of students’ functioning can help to address this need (Lane et al, 2016). Assessments must go beyond identifying students who have difficulty and should generate information about contextual-developmental factors that contribute to their adjustment difficulties as well as strengths that can be leveraged during intervention (Maggin, Wehby, Farmer, & Brooks, 2016).…”

Measuring Teachers’ Perceptions of Student Behavior Using the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders in Middle School Students

“…These findings showed that the level of high risk for middle school students was 6.83%. A total of 17.40% of students were classified as moderate risk and 75.77% low risk (Lane, Oakes, Lusk, Cantwell, & Schatschneider, 2016).…”