Universal screening assessments are characterized by the administration of quick, low-cost, repeatable testing of age-appropriate skills typically administered to all students three times a year.

 

These assessments yield two important pieces of information:

  

• They provide evidence to help assess how functional the core curriculum, environment, and instruction are in the school. At least 80% of all students in the school should be showing adequate progress in a particular curricular element or program. If more than 20% of the students are not making acceptable gains in an area, the school must focus on improving the core curriculum and/or instruction.

• Universal screening identifies those students who may not be making expected progress and who may need additional diagnostic assessment and/or intervention, either in small groups or on an individual basis.

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Universal Screening (US): The process of using a brief assessment of all students in a grade or school to determine which students are and are not at risk.

 

• Brief and easy to administer/score

• Predictive of later outcomes

• Reliable

• Valid