Development and validation of a behavioral screener for preschool-age children

The purpose of this study was to document the development of a short behavioral scale that could be used to assess preschoolers' behavior while still retaining adequate scale coverage, reliability, and validity. Factor analysis and item analysis techniques were applied to data from a nationally representative, normative database to create a 23-item behavioral screener to be used to identify children at risk. Screener sum scores were created and correlated with kindergarten and second-grade measures to assess validity evidence. Additionally, a receiver operating curve analysis created a cut score for making decisions about the need for further assessment. Based on the information collected, the 23-item screener was useful for assessing preschool-age students' behavior characteristics.