Investigating Cut Scores for Assessing Social-Emotional Risk

• In Event: Division H Vice-Presidential Invited Session: Fresh and Innovative Graduate Student Work in School-Based Research, Evaluation, and Assessment

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate cut scores for Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS) that are used in the preschool setting. Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROCC) analyses will be conducted to evaluate the cut score defined by the BESS manual (T = 60). Three different measures will be used as the criteria. Preliminary Results indicated that the existing cut score of 60 did not work well enough and slightly different cut scores were needed for children in different age groups. Identifying accurate BESS cut scores will offer useful information about children to relative stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and school personnel. This will help them provide correct interventions to help children who are actually at risk behaviorally.

Authors

• Jin Liu, University of South Carolina - Columbia

• Christine DiStefano, University of South Carolina