Predicting early school success with developmental and social skills screeners

The purpose of this study was to identify developmental, social skill, and problem behavior sub-domains that best predict academic achievement and grade promotion or retention in the early school years. Subjects were 184 children tested at the end of kindergarten using the Early Prevention of School Failure screening package and the Social Skills Rating Scale, and a year later using the Stanford Achievement Test. Information on promotion or retention was gathered in late spring for the two school years. Four kindergarten screening areas figured prominently in predicting first grade academic success: receptive language, visual memory, cooperation, and self-control. In addition, social skill subscales played significant roles in predicting promotion and retention. The findings suggest that assessment of social skills should be included in kindergarten screening packages with the possibility of targeting deficits for early intervention. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.