An Investigation of the Psychometric Properties of the Early Identification System-Student Report

An identified barrier to the widespread adoption of universal socioemotional and behavioral screening in schools may be that existing instruments may be too burdensome or costly to administer. As a result, the County Schools Mental Health Coalition came together to develop a common assessment system, the Early Identification System (EIS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the EIS-student report, using a sample of third- to eighth-grade students. A series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic models were used with one exploratory (n(1) = 450) and two holdout samples (n(2) = 450, n(3) = 940). A six correlated factor model was supported showing adequate model fit, reliability (range = .73-.90), and convergent validity. Results suggest that the EIS is a promising, cost-free, and quick-to-administer universal screening tool that may assist educators and school psychologists identify students at risk of future socioemotional and behavioral difficulties.