School Wide Behavior Measurement Systems

Screening and assessment tools are available to assist educators in evaluating if interventions need to be put in place and the effectiveness of interventions already in place. One of these assessment tools is the Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scale (SSIS-RS). 

Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scale (SSIS- RS)

Overview 

The Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scale (SSIS-RS) is a revision of the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS), created by Gresham and Elliott. The rating measure contains scales for social skills, problem behavior, academic competence and cooperation with subscales for assertion, responsiveness, self control, communication, empathy and engagement. There are five problem behavior scales evaluating externalizing, internalizing, bullying, hyperactivity and autism spectrum behaviors. Behaviors are evaluated using a four point frequency rating (0-3) and a three point importance rating (0-2). The system is designed to collect information from teachers, parents and the student (when age/developmentally appropriate), which is different from most behavior rating systems. For grades 3-12 the rating scales filled out by parents, teachers, and students and takes an average of 20 minutes to complete. For the younger grades or when not developmentally appropriate for the student to complete the scale, ratings are completed by the teacher and parent only. The behavior rating scales are one of four parts of the whole social skills improvement system. Other components are the Performance Screening Guide, the Classroom-Wide Intervention Program, an Intervention Guide and a computer scoring program.

Psychometric Properties:

The study comparing the psychometric properties of the SSIS with the previous version, the SSRS indicate that although the SSIS scales contain fewer items, they are more cohesive, generate higher correlations in each area and allow for broader understanding of key social behaviors. The median scale reliability is in the .90s for both social and problem behavior. Test-retest reliability for both teacher and parent ratings on social skills and problem behavior are all in the .80s. The median subscale stability rating is in the .80s for social skills and problem behavior and is .92 for academic competence. 

Implications for educators:

This system fits in with the RTI tiered model of providing intervention for academic skills and behavior. The Class wide Intervention Program (CIP) provides the first tier of instruction for the entire group (classroom or school-wide). When students are evaluated using the Performance Screening Guide (PSG), teachers can decide if they are progressing and demonstrating appropriate skills or not. If the PSG indicates that a student is not gaining skills through the CIP, the SSIS rating scales can be completed to gather information about specific areas the student may have strengths and deficits in. The SSIS scales directly link to interventions and can be used to identify acquisition and performance deficits, which allows for better intervention planning.

The SSIS also allows for broader conceptualization of key social behaviors which can aide teachers/student team members in evaluating, teaching and trouble shooting student behavior. 

Gresham, F. M., Elliott, S. N., Vance, M. J., & Cook, C. R. (2011). Comparability of the social skills rating system to the social skills improvement system: Content and psychometric comparisons across elementary and secondary age levels. School Psychology Quarterly, 26(1), 27-44. doi: 10.1037/a0022662