Strength‐based assessment of behavior competencies to distinguish students referred for disciplinary intervention from nonreferred peers

Abstract

Early identification of the lack of behavioral competencies followed by subsequent intervention is critical to reducing the number of students at risk for increasing disciplinary responses and school failure. This study examined scores on the Behavior Objective Sequence (BOS) of elementary school students referred for out-of-classroom disciplinary intervention. The results of this study indicated a distinction between the BOS scores of students referred for disciplinary problems and the scores of students who were never referred. In addition, differences among demographic variables of the sample population were found. These findings provide initial data that support use of the BOS as a strength-based assessment for identifying behavioral competencies of students who may be at risk for increasing rates of disciplinary referrals so skill-focused intervention strategies may be implemented in a timely manner. C 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Early identification of student behavior problems followed by subsequent intervention is critical in efforts to reduce the number of students at risk for school failure. The extensive literature in this field has emphasized the need for early intervention to facilitate prosocial skills development. Traditional deficit-based assessment tools that describe behavior symptoms for identifying which students need early intervention are plentiful; however, they provide almost no assistance to teachers on what skills should be taught (Epstein & Rudolph, n.d.). Little information is currently available regarding the usefulness of strength-based assessment in targeting students for behavioral interventions.Students exhibiting chronic behavior problems are at risk for negative school outcomes, both academic and social. Without early identification and intervention, many problem behaviors escalate in frequency and severity over time with diminishing responses to intervention and increasing costs associated with secondary and tertiary treatments. These problem behaviors may have lifetime consequences (McClellan & Katz, 2001). Unchecked low-level aggression exhibited by students has been associated with high-level, antisocial, and criminal conduct (Belandcited findings that indicate that children who do not develop prosocial behaviors by about third grade continue to display some degree of antisocial behavior throughout their lives.Reactive efforts too often focus on responding to problem behaviors through the use of punishment or exclusion rather than identifying children who are at risk before problems escalate and providing proactive intervention. Lane, Gresham, and O'Shaughnessy (2002) attested to the reactive approach schools tend to take in addressing problem behaviors. The current trend toward zero-tolerance policies results in the exclusion of children with antisocial behaviors from accessing the intervention and instructional opportunities schools can provide for prosocial development (Kauffman, 1999;Webster-Stratton & Reid, 2002). Students are left with no education and no future, a pra...

Gender differences in positive social–emotional functioning

“…Behavior rating scales of children and adolescents have predominantly focused on determining areas of difficulties, deficits, and pathology (Albrecht & Braaten, 2008). As such, research on trends in gender differences has most often been based on ratings of internalizing and externalizing problem symptoms.…”

Training in strength‐based intervention and assessment methodologies in APA‐accredited psychology programs

“…This limited line of research does provide evidence that the incorporation of strengths provide additional utility when coupled with traditional deficit‐based measures (Antaramian, Huebner, Hills, & Valois, ; Greenspoon & Saklofske, ; Suldo & Shaffer, ; Suldo, Thalji, & Ferron, ). The exclusive focus on deficits is problematic for numerous reasons, including a reduction of information collected by psychologists and providing an incomplete view of children's ecological circumstances (Albrecht & Braaten, ). These limitations have led psychologists to look at strength‐based assessments to assist in identifying and building on students’ existing assets (Rudolph & Epstein, ).…”

Are Strengths the Solution? An Exploration of the Relationships among Teacher-rated Strengths, Classroom Behaviour, and Academic Achievement of Young Students

“…Assumed outcomes of a strengths-based approach are improvements in school engagement, achievement, pro-social classroom behaviour, and reductions in bullying and victimization (Anderson, Rawana, Brownlee, & Whitley, 2009;Donnon, Hammond, & Charles, 2003;Katz & McCluskey, 2003). Recent research has supported the relationships between these constructs (Albrecht & Braaten, 2008;Anderson et al, 2009;Donnon & Hammond, 2007;Farmer et al, 2005).…”