Abstract
Identification of strengths is considered an important part of school psychological practice. However, few instruments are available to school psychologists that allow for systematic and comprehensive evaluation of a student’s emotional and behavioral strengths. School psychologists must be provided with psychometrically sound instruments that will measure students’ emotional and behavioral skills and competencies. The Behavioral and Emotional Ratings Scale (BERS) was developed in response to the need for a valid and reliable instrument for assessing and evaluating strengths, but it became evident that the single instrument was not comprehensive. The BERS has now been restandardized to create two additional scales: a parent rating scale and a youth self-report scale. The Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale-2nd Edition (BERS-2) scales now provide school psychologists with a comprehensive set of standardized instruments to assess children’s emotional and behavioral strengths. The purpose of this article is threefold: (a) to provide a brief overview of strength-based assessment in school psychological practice, (b) to discuss the development of the BERS-2, and (c) to discuss the use of the BERS-2 in school psychological practice.
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This research was supported in part by grants from the Center for Mental Health Services and U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the position of the funding agencies and no endorsement should be inferred.
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Buckley, J.A., Epstein, M.H. The Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale-2 (BERS-2): Providing a Comprehensive Approach to Strength-Based Assessment. Contemp School Psychol 9, 21–27 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03340904
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03340904