LAUSR

Abstract Preschool has been recognized as an optimal time to provide behavioral and emotional supports to children; however, there is a need to examine the stability, accuracy, and predictive validity of universal emotional and behavioral screening scores in early childhood to inform procedures for repeated screenings across time. The present study included a sample of 1,014 students assessed with the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Teacher Preschool screening form and comprehensive, omnibus teacher rating scales in preschool through first grade. Results indicated that scores from the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Teacher screener were relatively stable within the school year and showed evidence of predictive validity of clinical problems in early childhood. To help identify who may benefit from a repeated screening later in the academic year, receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were conducted. A cut score of 51 emerged as a useful cut point to minimize expended resources and maximize sensitivity and specificity in finding new cases of risk. Implications for practitioners are discussed, including those related to the efficiency, timing, and frequency of screening in early childhood.