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Updated: May 12, 2026
A Tablet-Based Curriculum-Based Measurement Protocol for Kindergarten Writing
Published on: February 7, 2025
The predictive utility of a brief kindergarten screening measure of child behavior problems
Sarah Jensen Racz1, Kevin M King, Johnny Wu
1Department of Mental Health, Johns HopkinsBloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. sracz@jhsph.edu
Objective:
Kindergarten teacher ratings, such as those from the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation-Revised (TOCA-R), are a promising cost- and time-effective screening method to identify children at risk for later problems. Previous research with the TOCA-R has been mainly limited to outcomes in a single domain measured during elementary school. The goal of the current study was to examine the ability of TOCA-R sum scores to predict outcomes in multiple domains across distinct developmental periods (i.e., late childhood, middle adolescence, late adolescence).
Method:
We used data from the Fast Track Project, a large multisite study with children at risk for conduct problems (n = 752; M age at start of study = 6.55 years; 57.7% male; 49.9% Caucasian, 46.3% African American). Kindergarten TOCA-R sum scores were used as the predictor in regression analyses; outcomes included school difficulties, externalizing diagnoses and symptom counts, and substance use.
Results:
TOCA-R sum scores predicted school outcomes at all time points, diagnosis of ADHD in 9th grade, several externalizing disorder symptom counts, and cigarette use in 12th grade.
Conclusions:
The findings demonstrate the predictive utility of the TOCA-R when examining outcomes within the school setting. Therefore, these results suggest the 10-item TOCA-R may provide a quick and accurate screening of children at risk for later problems. Implications for prevention and intervention programs are discussed.
