Proactive, early screening to detect behaviorally at-risk students: Issues, approaches, emerging innovations, and professional practices

This article provides a review of current practices and tools used in the proactive screening of behaviorally at-risk students within the context of schooling. While there are many obstacles to the early detection of vulnerable students, some recent developments have helped make educators more receptive to early identification and prevention approaches. In addition to describing current best practices, this article reviews promising innovations in screening and early identification that the authors believe are worth considering and whose structural characteristics, required accommodations, and critical features may make them more acceptable to educational users. Implications for the training of school psychologists in the screening and early identification of high-risk students are reviewed and recommendations offered for future research.