Considerations for systematic screening PK-12: universal screening for internalizing and externalizing behaviors in the COVID-19 era

Abstract

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, PK-12 school buildings across the United States closed and educators quickly pivoted to remote and continuous learning opportunities to protect students and society as a whole from the deadly coronavirus. As educational leaders navigate the complexities for providing instruction during the 2020-2021 academic year, questions have arisen regarding systematic screening practices. At a time when many people—including students—are likely to be experiencing heightened emotional and behavioral challenges, educational leaders are seeking guidance on how to support students’ well-being. Systematic screening being a vital part of the response. In this manuscript, we offer considerations for conducting systematic screenings for internalizing and externalizing behaviors in the COVID-19 era. We recommend educators continue to screen, use multiple sources of data to inform programming, and screen responsibly. We close with our commitment to swiftly explore psychometric properties of the Student Risk Screen Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE) behaviors, to provide clarity on the reliability and validity of this free-access screening tool in the new and varied school contexts, and provide data-informed guidance to educational leaders.

Keywords:

• Early detection
• externalizing
• internalizing
• systematic screening
• tiered systems

Acknowledgments

Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Education, and such endorsements should not be inferred.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by the Institute of Education Sciences Project SCREEN (R324A190013).

Notes on contributors

Kathleen Lynne Lane

Kathleen Lynne Lane is the Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor and Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Kansas. Her research interests include the design, implementation, and evaluation of Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention in PK-12 schools, with an emphasis on systematic screening.

Wendy Peia Oakes

Wendy Peia Oakes is an associate professor of early childhood special education at Arizona State University, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. Her research interests include the design, implementation, and evaluation of Ci3T to promote positive school outcomes for students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders and well-being of their teachers.

Holly Mariah Menzies

Holly M. Menzies is professor of Special Education at California State University, Los Angeles and her current areas of interest are school discipline and teachers’ perceptions of education reform.