Tier 1 Procedure: School-wide Behavior Screening

Authors

Natalie Hoff, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Reece L. Peterson, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Jenna Strawhun, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Scott Fluke, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Document Type

Learning Object

Date of this Version

3-2017

Citation

Topic brief

Building and Sustaining Student Engagement series (April 2015; updated March 2017)

Barkley Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States

Abstract

Identifying at-risk students for Tier 2 & 3 interventions.

Summary and Conclusion

Several conclusions can be drawn regarding behavioral screening:

• • Behavior screening is an important and feasible task.
• • Several empirically supported tools have been developed for behavior screening.
• • Many of these tools have good reliability and validity but differ in terms of costs and time required for implementation. These are all considerations when choosing a screener.
• • Behavior screening can be done at efficiently at relatively low cost in both dollars and staff time.
• • By implementing screening procedures, schools can prevent further/future behavior problems from growing and becoming more complicated, as well as providing support for students experiencing difficulties in this area.
• • The long term value of effective intervention based on screening will be a savings in school resources which would otherwise have been used in dealing with more difficult and complex behavior problems later in students’ school careers.
• • Once these programs are firmly in place, teachers, students, and administrators will become more comfortable with the process and it will become a natural part of every school year.

Behavior screening appears important, desirable, practical,technically feasible, and needed to benefit students as well as the school itself. Lane, Menzies, Oakes, and Kalberg (2012) suggest that the question should not be “Should we implement school-wide behavior screening?” but rather it should be, “What school-wide behavioral screening tool should we use?” The ability to provide students with early access to needed school based behavior and mental health services outweighs any potential links to stigma or labeling, or loss of time or costs. By developing a universal screening plan, with additional secondary and tertiary supports to students who may need them, many behavior and mental health problems will be prevented or significantly diminished with concomitant increases in academic achievement. A logical conclusion is that all schools should be employing a plan to implement behavior screening, and to provide tiered support based on results of that screening.

For more information about several of the behavior screening procedures mentioned in this Brief, see the Examples of Behavior Screeners, Resource Brief.