Universal Screening for Social-Emotional and Behavioral Risk: Differential Item Functioning on the SAEBRS

Universal screening for social-emotional and behavioral (SEB) risk is one strategy for schools to proactively identify students in need of additional supports and services. As schools serve an increasing number of children from racially and culturally diverse backgrounds, further research is needed to examine the differential functioning of brief behavior rating scales. The present study examined differential item functioning (DIF) on the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS)-Teacher Rating Scale. Participants included 11,496 kindergartens through 12th-grade students. DIF analyses were conducted by race/ethnicity, grade level, and biological sex. Results indicated small-to-large effects of DIF for teacher ratings of Black students compared to their non-Black peers on each item resulting in a moderate effect at the test level (Total Behavior [TB] expected test score standardized difference [ETSSD] = −0.67). There was a small-to-moderate effect of DIF for teacher ratings of White students compared to their non-White peers at the test level (TB ETSSD = 0.43). There was a small-to-moderate effect of DIF by biological sex, with teachers rating males differentially with high risk (TB ETSSD = −0.47). There were no significant effects at the test level for differences in ratings by grade level. Future research is needed to identify the factors influencing the interaction between the rater, the student, and the rating scale that could lead to resulting differential functioning. Impact and Implications This study suggests teachers rated students' social-emotional and behavioral skills differently based on student race/ethnicity and biological sex. Teachers differentially rated Black and male students as demonstrating higher risk compared to White and female students.