Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS)

Full Name of Assessment:		Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS)
Author, Publisher, Date:		Frank Gresham, Stephen Elliot., Pearson, 2008
Source:		Pearson	Pricing: $261
Brief description (purpose, domains, subscales, time to administer, space/equipment needs): The Social Skills Improvement System addresses the need for an evidence-based, multi-tiered assessment and intervention system to help you help students develop, improve, and maintain important social skills. Designed by experienced scientist-practitioners Stephen Elliott, PhD, and Frank Gresham, PhD, this family of tools can be used early in the school year to facilitate the universal screening of students at risk for academic or social behaviour difficulties, help plan interventions for improving these behaviours, and evaluate progress on targeted skills after intervention. The SSIS focuses on key skills that enable the academic success of students 3–19 years of age. Teacher, parent, and student forms help provide a comprehensive picture across school, home, and community settings. Domains are social skills, problem behaviors, and academic performance. 10-25 minutes to administer, only the forms are needed to complete the assessment.
Scoring: Social skills and problem behaviors are scored by how often the student shows the behaviors and how important (from 0-3 in each category). Academic performance is scored by how well the student does compared to other students in the classroom. Scores are then translated to a raw score, and a percentile ranking is then computed.
Psychometric properties (describe briefly; e.g. reliability, validity, sensitivity, specificity, etc): Reliability= mid to upper .9, alpha= .9, good test-retest reliability, Validity= moderate to high. Coefficient alpha= .8
Citations/References (source at least 2 articles that use the tool or reports on psychometrics): Greshma, 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. Gresham, F. M., Elliott, S. N., & Kettler, R. J. (2010). Base rates of social skills acquisition/performance deficits, strengths, and problem behaviors: An analysis of the Social Skills Improvement System—Rating Scales. Psychological Assessment, 22(4), 809-815. doi:10.1037/a0020255
Comments/critique (include application to practice – settings, needs, populations): Short administration time Client-centered – child can identify goals Can be administered in group or individual setting Can be used to track progress
Training or certification requirements:	N/A